Borderline
by McMahonHelmsleyEraFan
Summary: Sequel to Boomerang. A reckless stranger feels it's necessary to take an abrupt vacation to Connecticut. Hunter and Stephanie's marriage is threatened in the process. To come to grips with the present, they must explore the past they've been running from
1. Prologue

Sometimes, I really hate my imagination. I'm supposed to be finishing unfinished fic, not starting new ones. To top it off, not only was Boomerang not meant to have a sequel, but it also wasn't supposed to end up being 22 chapters long. Lo and behold I've broken every one of those promises to myself. Le sigh! LOL.

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><p>Something was calling him here. He wasn't sure what, but he was filled with a sudden, overwhelming need to come to Fairfield County, Connecticut. It made no sense. This was a rich man's region for the most part. And given his upbringing, he was relatively well-off. But due to his poverty-stricken origins he had stayed grounded and somewhat humble.<p>

His tall, muscular frame exited his Nissan 350z sports car and he pushed his sunglasses up to the top of his head. This would be somewhat of an extended, impromptu vacation for him. Once he found out what the hell it was that he had felt compelled to come here to do, he would leave. He pulled his bags from the trunk and walked towards the entrance of the Stamford Marriott Hotel.

He was about to damage a marriage and raise hell for an entire family. But, there was no way he could have known that. He had gone his entire life deliberately not thinking about things very hard or for very long. Living on the edge was his thing. Screw the past, it didn't matter.


	2. Duty

DLDB; that was quick. LOL. Thank you for the review and for being considerate of the sea of fic I've thrown myself in haha. I'm seriously toying with the idea of axing MP. Quite honestly, the first two chapters sucked so badly that I can't redeem the story. DSDT...still have hope for that one! Entwined is over in a couple of chapters, WAN has 5-10 more to go. It's much easier to crank out chapters for the new stories than trying to resurrect and make un-crappy the older ones haha. Hope you and everyone else enjoys this! It's short and the mystery man is absent. But, I want it to be clear that the marriage was totally solid before this person popped up. The fluff shall die in a couple of chapters. At some point I might change the rating to mature. The mystery man will be known for his sometimes excessive use of foul language :-D

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><p>Stephanie sighed into the phone tiredly. She and Hunter had stayed up most of the night with her oldest child, Jackson. Her 6 year old had practically coughed his lungs out for three straight days. In and of itself, that broke his parents' heart. But when the little boy started throwing up it sent them into a complete panic. They'd taken him to the emergency room at three in the morning.<p>

Two weeks prior, their entire family had ended up with a cold. The five of them generally had strong immune systems and had beat the virus back and returned to their normal, daily activities. She tried not to be overly worried when Jack still had a little bit of a lingering cough. After all, it was a kid at his school that he'd contracted the virus from. That was a total judgment call, seeing as how he was the first to get sick.

Not that anyone would know it at first. The kid was a little spitfire and didn't let the illness slow him down much. They'd practically had to tie the boy down to keep him from running around the neighborhood, potentially infecting everyone in it.

Jack had been quarantined. But despite their spacious home, the other four members of his family ended up sick. And Jack still was. According to the doctor they saw this morning, her son had acute bronchitis. Likely because he'd felt ill and not told anyone, the minor viral infection had spread to his airways.

She and Hunter hadn't felt silly for rushing their son to the hospital in the middle of the night. They were a little overprotective of Jack when it came to illness and safety. It was natural given how he entered the world; being two weeks premature and nearly injured by a crazy man intent on having his mother for himself.

And he wasn't throwing up, per se. He was expelling mucus from his lungs and sort of spitting it up. A simple internet search might have clued them in to that. But, they had been far too frantic to think about that option. Kid throwing up for no apparent reason equaled hospital for them.

"Yeah, he's coughing less," she confirmed to her husband. "And bouncing off the damn walls of course."

Hunter smirked. "Sounds like he's getting back to normal. He never was any good about sitting idly."

Stephanie shook her head. "I just don't know what to do. He's obviously still contagious and the last thing we need is three sick kids. Again."

"If I grab him a television on the way home, he could at least play his video games and watch his favorite shows."

An eye roll was her initial reply. Until she remembered that he couldn't see it. Hunter never needed an excuse to dote on his children. She couldn't really blame him, given the way he'd grown up. He hadn't been shown a whole lot of love, so he made up for it by making sure his family always knew he adored and cherished them. He'd mostly had tattered hand me downs as clothes, no toys and wasn't allowed to partake in activities. To put it mildly, he hadn't had much of a childhood. So he loved that they had enough money to provide their kids with new clothes, whatever it was they wanted to play with or hobby they decided to pick up. "You're going to spoil these kids rotten."

He laughed. "The boy is sick. We can't let him run all over the house or else we'll all have bronchitis. He needs something to pass the time other than hanging out with his mother."

Her nose scrunched up with her insult. "Hey! My little guy loves me!" She protested.

"I know he does. And trust me baby, you're great company. But he's a kid. And because he's sick he can't play outside, torment his sisters or hang around in any room except ours. I don't blame him for going stir crazy."

All right, so that was logical. It made sense. But, she was still hesitant to allow Jack to be able to watch whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. "He watches our TV," was her attempt at an argument.

"And watching cartoon network is driving you nuts, I'm sure."

_Damn it, _she thought. She sighed again. "But if we get him a TV, then the girls will want one."

Then again, it wasn't an irrational idea. Jack hated most of the things his sisters liked to watch. Four-year old Karmina and Kaycee hated most of the things Jack liked to watch. There were a few movies and shows that they had in common. And when that happened, Hunter and Stephanie could breathe a sigh of relief that the three of them weren't fighting over the remote. The girls were more into dress-up, dolls and things of the sort, rather than video games. And when Jack's favorite program wasn't on he wanted to hog the TV to play one of the various systems he owned.

There were only two televisions in the house: one in the living room and one in Hunter and Stephanie's room. The reason for that was because they wanted to do things as family whenever possible. If everyone had their own TV, they would only leave their room to come downstairs and eat. They'd be like passerby's in their home. Hunter didn't want that because other than the year spent with the Reece's, he hadn't had a family. And Stephanie didn't want that because it was sort of how she had grown up. She and Shane hardly saw their parents and when they did, very little quality time was spent together. Even when they were taking a day off, her parents were still working.

Getting Jack his own TV and trying to take it away as soon as he was better seemed like a poor idea. It was a little unfair and might actually cause her son to prolong his illness. She smiled, knowing her child too well.

"He'll be better soon, Hunter. For now I think we should just let him bring one game system in our room. When I'm about to tear my hair out from Dragon Ball Z overload I'll just go downstairs."

"That works, too. You're so smart; this is why I married you."

Stephanie chuckled. "Thanks, baby. But, is that the only reason?"

"Of course not. But it would take me all day to list them all."

A blush stained her cheeks and she was thankful that her husband was an hour away and unable to see it. "Such the charmer. What time are you coming home?"

Hunter rubbed his thin beard in consideration. "I'll be done seeing today's prospects around 2:30. Traffic, picking up the girls, more traffic, grabbing some food for us...I should be back by midnight."

"Hunter," she whined playfully.

"5:30?" He tried.

Stephanie nodded her head in satisfaction. She knew he was purposely overshooting the time. He always did, so that she was always excited when he made it early...or simply content when he made it on time. It was much better than being disappointed if her husband was late. "Sounds good," she congratulated.

"Mommy," Jack called from down the hall.

"I gotta go, babe. Duty calls."

Hunter laughed. "So I hear. I'll see you at home. Love you."

"Love you," she returned and clicked off. "More water, Jack?" She asked loudly.

"Yes, please," he answered politely. "Thanks, Mommy."

Stephanie smiled at her son's manners. Even if he was driving her half-crazy with his choice in programming, she was glad his voice was sounding clearer. And that being sick hadn't sucked the spirit out of him or made him demanding and uncaring. Aside from being restless, he was the sweetest little thing. As long as he got better, her slight suffering was worth it.


	3. Would You Love Me?

It's innnnsane that with new fic I can crank out multiple chapter in a single day. Try to have me update an old one and it'll take me weeks. Fail. LOL.

Thanks to Miss Shannon for this one, she gave me the idea! It's not quite what you requested, I tweaked it a little bit so that it'll tie in with the rest of the plot later :-D. Jess..."sucks that basically everything's gonna go to shit soon for Steph and Hunter lol"...that did SOOOO crack my shit up. And why don't you have an account yet, missy! DLDB, I've got a Droid and the instant email thing is so great, I totally get you on that one.

So uh yeah...instead of working on umm...you know the 3 fics I said I would, I took Shannon's idea and ran with it. Enjoy!

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><p>Hunter sighed and chewed his lip in frustration. The twins had been arguing, fighting and acting up ever since they got in his car. According to their teacher, they had been perfect angels at school as usual. When they got to Subway, he'd finally reached the end of his rope and called Stephanie. She said what she always did: that he was too much of a softie with their twins and would let them get away with murder if they wanted.<p>

He knew she was telling the absolute truth. And he knew exactly why he was that way. As a kid he wasn't bad, but found himself the victim of undue and overdone punishment all the time. It was hard to remember a time when his biological father hadn't beaten him. Almost as if the very fact he existed was cause enough to slap, punch or kick him. Some of the foster parents hadn't been any better.

It was likely possible that as a result of receiving unnecessary punishment that he wasn't able to punish his kids at all even when they deserved it. He just...never wanted his kids to think of him in the way he'd thought of most of his sets of parents.

Even though he knew what Stephanie was going to say about the girls acting up with him, he had hoped for a different answer. Something that would make the girls behave without him actually having to toughen up with them.

Judging by the fact that the girls were in the backseat fighting over a doll and had been ever since he picked them up half an hour ago, it appeared that this issue definitely wouldn't settle itself.

"It's mine!" Kaycee insisted.

"I wanna see it!" Karmina returned.

Hunter glanced in the rearview mirror to see the girls both sitting forward in their car seats, with the Barbie doll in the middle as it was being pulled back and forth between them. He rubbed his temple and said, "You should share with your sister, Kayce."

Kaycee flinched as if she'd been struck by lightning. "She had one and she lost it and now she wants mine and it's not fair, Daddy!" She spoke quickly and the words ran together in a semi-jumble, but he was able to understand.

Hunter turned his attention back to the road. _That's not the point, _he thought. His kids weren't brought up to be selfish. They were supposed to share and to help each other. He understood Kaycee's point because both girls had had similar Barbie dolls. Karmina hadn't lost hers. At least not intentionally. She'd taken it with her on the playground, left it on a table to go play jump rope and when she came back it was gone. Kaycee's had been stored in her backpack. Hunter and Stephanie told all the kids to keep their personal stuff in their hands, pockets or at least in their backpack.

Karmina had been sad about her doll, but apparently didn't totally flip out until she was out of school and Kaycee began playing with hers.

"Ha-ha!" Karmina exclaimed, having taken advantage of her sister's distraction. While her identical twin had been protesting to Hunter about why she shouldn't have to share, her sister had seen the opportunity. And she struck at the right time, yanking the doll out of her sister's loose grasp.

"Give it back!" Kaycee shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Oh my God," Hunter muttered under his breath. They were trying to make his head explode by simultaneously giving him a headache and making him go deaf.

He felt his patience slipping away with each word out of his adorable little girls' mouths. Because of his previous issues with anger...and his tendency to take it out on Stephanie, he made it a point to stay in control. Or to at least express his anger in a healthier way. His wife was an adult and she was aware of his past. Even though he occasionally got irritated with things and sometimes appeared to take it out on her, she understood. And he'd apologize immediately and clarify that he wasn't mad at her, but at whatever situation had presented itself. They'd have a talk about channeling his feelings properly...and about his past if it was necessary.

They'd make up and there'd be no real harm done.

He glanced in the rearview mirror again and simply shook his head at his twins. He loved them but Jesus Christ they needed to tone it down. Unfortunately, he didn't have it in him to make them to do so. If he allowed himself to discipline the pair of them he wasn't sure he would do it right.

What if he yelled too loudly or the punishment was too strict?

Flashbacks of cold baths, nights without dinner and hours sitting alone in a dark, cramped closet immediately invaded his mind.

No, he couldn't do it. He wouldn't. As much as he hated relying on Stephanie to keep the kids well-behaved, he hated the thought of them thinking that he was mean and cruel more.

Hunter breathed a sigh of relief when he turned onto their street. The girls were still in the back arguing over the damn doll. Apparently Kaycee had managed to get a grip on it and the Barbie was once again in danger of being split in half.

A minute or so later, he couldn't have been more overjoyed to finally pull into the garage. In his mind, he could take over looking after Jackson and Stephanie could deal with her duplicates. They looked so much like her, it was downright scary sometimes. And the expression they would get on their face when they were displeased was entirely her. Their temper likely came from him. And the stubbornness was a contribution both parents had made to their personality. God help him when the girls got older.

He grabbed the bags of food and totally ignored the girls as they continued to bicker loudly behind him. The three of them entered through the kitchen and Hunter stopped to begin separating each family member's different meal. Karmina and Kaycee continued yanking the doll back and forth all the way into the living room.

The faint sound of footsteps could be heard, right before Stephanie's voice floated down the stairs. "Whoa!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands to grab their attention. "What is going on down here?" She asked, while descending the staircase the rest of the way.

Hunter walked out of the kitchen blinking innocently, like he had no idea what was going on. He moved to stand beside the girls.

"Mommy at school someone took my doll," Karmina whined.

"She try to take mine," Kaycee interjected.

Karmina pouted and pointed an accusing finger at her slightly younger sister. "She supposed to share."

The twins voices started to rise again and they tugged the doll in opposite directions at the same time. The Barbie made a snapping sound and one of its legs flew upwards and hit their father in the head.

"Karmina Reece and Kaycee Samantha Helmsley!" His gravelly voice suddenly boomed.

Both girls stopped with the damaged Barbie still dangling loosely from their hands. Their blue eyes were wide as they looked up at their father right before they filled to the brim with tears. Hunter instantly felt bad and decided not to say anything else. This was exactly why he mostly kept his mouth shut and let the kids have it out with each other. The situations often resolved themselves after a while...or Stephanie did it for them. Either way, no one ended up crying because of him. He quietly excused himself to the staircase, deciding that he'd observe but not actively participate in what happened next.

Stephanie ran a hand through her hair tensely and waited until the girls calmed down. "Karm, what have we told you about taking your stuff with you?"

Karmina scrunched up her face in thought and tapped a finger to her dented chin. "Hold it or backpack," she answered.

Stephanie nodded and placed a hand on her hip. "So how did your doll get taken if it was in your hand or your backpack?"

"It was – it was on the table, Mommy. I put her there to jump rope," the little girl answered softly and on the verge of tears. She released her grip on the broken Barbie.

"Not me, Mommy!" Kaycee exclaimed, suddenly cheerful because she was the twin who'd obeyed her parents. "Mine was here," she pointed at the backpack that was slung from her shoulders.

"And I'm proud of you, Sam. But you know what would make me prouder?"

Kaycee shook her head no and smiled up at the older version of herself.

"If you'd be nice to Karmina. Her doll got taken and she's sad. You could help make her feel better."

"But Mommy she didn't listen. I did. It's my doll and she broke her leg," she hugged the toy to her chest protectively. Her mouth was almost in full pout mode.

Stephanie sighed and walked over to her girls. She crouched down to their height and ran a hand over Kaycee's light brown waves. "I know she didn't listen. What happens when you don't listen?"

"Trouble!" She answered.

"What kind of trouble?"

"Punsment," Karmina offered after her sister just stood there looking confused.

Stephanie snorted to contain her laugh and smiled at the elder twin. "Punishment, sweetheart," she corrected while cupping the little girl's cheek in her hand. "I'm sorry your doll got taken, Reese's pieces." When they were being super affectionate and simply trying to entertain their daughter when she was sad, they called her that. Not only did she love the candy, but it fit with her middle name Reece. She loved it and the plan never failed. "But, bad things can happen when you don't listen to Mommy and Daddy."

"Okay." Karmina agreed before reaching out to hug her mother tightly. "I'm sorry, Mommy. Sorry Sam."

Hunter smiled as he watched his girls interact. Kaycee apparently started to feel bad about being stingy because she tapped her sister on the shoulder and offered her the doll. Karmina reluctantly took it and grabbed her sister, pulling her into the hug.

Stephanie kissed each of the girls on the cheek and tickled their sides until the pouts turned into giggles. "Go wash up for dinner, okay?" She requested, watching the twins scurry up the stairs past their father. "Tell Jack, too," she called up after them.

"Okay," they both agreed.

The warm smile left her face and she walked over to sit on the step directly below the one her husband was on. She allowed him a minute or so to collect his thoughts. Obviously he felt bad about reprimanding the girls. The pair of them had certainly deserved it with the way they were behaving. But, Hunter would be beating himself up about it because he tried to never get mad at any of the kids.

What he needed to realize was that being mad and simply making sure the kids followed the rules were two totally different things.

"How the hell do you do that?" He asked suddenly.

She thought she knew exactly what he was asking. But it was better if she made sure. "Do what?"

"Get them to listen so easily."

On the stairs, she turned around to look up at her husband. "Our kids are very smart, Hunter. They know the rules. If you just remind them of what we said and what the consequences of not listening are, they'll behave."

"I do that," he stated.

Stephanie nodded. "You do. But if it doesn't work the first time you just...disconnect for the most part and let them run amuck." She smirked at the guilty look on his face. "You have to be more stern, let them know that what they're doing isn't okay and why."

"But did you see their faces when I yelled at them? You'd have thought I ran over Bailey or Max." Hunter and Stephanie usually didn't know where either of the dogs were. There was a dog house for each of them outside, but they also had beds set up in the large home office downstairs. For the most part, both pets tended to just have a blast running around the gated property. Occasionally, someone spotted one of them right outside of the patio doors, nibbling at the automatic feeder of dog food. If they were called, the dogs would come running through the doggie door. But other than that, they just did their own thing.

"No kid likes being disciplined, Hunter. And they're definitely not used to it from you. But if you're firm with them, they'll knock it off and you probably won't get so frustrated that you end up yelling."

Hunter didn't reply, he just hung his head and made his blonde hair fall around his face.

After almost 9 years of marriage – 6 of them where she actually understood him – she knew exactly what he was thinking. He was beating himself up for losing his patience with Kaycee and Karmina. Stephanie knew firsthand that those two could be a handful when they were having a disagreement. Sometimes they listened to her immediately; sometimes not. But, the girls weren't stupid. They knew that if they disobeyed their mother too much, some privilege was definitely going to be taken away. Their Dad was another story altogether since he tended to rescind on their penalty, if he even bothered to impose one in the first place.

Though her husband wouldn't say it, she could tell that he worried that the girls in particular wouldn't love him as much or at all, if he were to be more firm with them. The relationship that she had with them was evidence to the contrary.

There were 3 kids and 2 adults. And if Hunter had it his way they would be even more outnumbered. So their parenting styles needed to be consistent. With Jack, she had finally made it sink in to her husband's head that if she told the boy he couldn't do something, it wasn't a good idea for Hunter to then contradict what she said. At first it confused their son. But, he quickly realized that when he wanted something it was better to just go to Hunter who would likely say yes.

By the time that Jack was 5 and the girls were 3, she'd finally got Hunter to be a little more strict with their son.

Only to have the process repeat itself with her charming mini-me's.

The fact that he'd said anything at all to them was a milestone. Usually he didn't bother trying to interrupt their squabbles. _Guess getting hit in the head with a Barbie leg will do that to you, _she thought. Especially if the twins had been arguing ever since he had called her. No wonder he snapped.

Stephanie scooted closer to Hunter and readjusted her positioning so that her arms were planted on either side of him and she was slightly hovering. She leaned her weight to one side and used her free hand to push his hair out of his face. "Hey," she said, waiting until he looked up at her. "The girls adore you, Hunter. So does Jack. Our kids are great but they can be quite a bit to deal with. Especially when more than one of them is present."

One side of Hunter's mouth lifted up in a smirk. Truer words had never been spoken.

"They know when they're behaving badly. And they're not going to stop loving you just because you respond accordingly. I've mostly been the disciplinarian around here and they still love me. So stop letting them run wild because you're worried that they won't love you anymore."

"It's not just that, Steph. I worry about going too far. The line between too much and just enough. You know?"

Stephanie took her hand down to balance herself. She heard the fear that he hadn't actually voiced. It was much more than that. "You're not your father, Hunter. You're not some fucking deadbeat who can't take care of himself or his family. Nor are you some abusive junkie."

"Such language," Hunter chastised lightly. Though he was making light of her rare use of such strong profanity, he was glad she felt so sure in what she was saying. It helped him feel that she might be right. He just...really loved his family. He wanted them to be safe and happy. More than anything, he wanted that to happen because he was a good husband and father. After numerous omissions, fights and a breakup, he finally got the husband thing down. Up until each child learned to talk, he'd had the father thing down too. Sometimes he just got so nervous that he'd screw up with the kids. Kaycee and Karmina in particular. Jack was old enough to understand that his father loved him even when he was in trouble. And he mostly acted out in the form of teasing his twin sisters and hogging the remote to the living room television.

Stephanie grinned and shrugged. "Can't help it. It really gets me when you compare yourself to him. He was a sack of shit. I feel lucky that you turned out to be so wonderful."

"It wasn't luck. It was you," he corrected.

She shook her head. "Must have always been there. Maybe I just gave you a reason to let out the awesome guy now known as my husband and father of my kids."

Hunter tilted his head from side to side in consideration. "Maybe," he agreed before leaning forward to press his lips to hers.

"So how do you want to handle the brood this evening?" Stephanie asked.

"You've had Jack all day, so I'll eat dinner with him in our room and you eat with the girls. We'll switch off when it's time to get them ready for bed."

Stephanie nodded in approval of his plan. It was good that he'd taken the initiative to pick the harder task for himself. That would give him an opportunity to practice slightly more strict parenting since the twins tended to try to distract, refuse, talk and then cry their way out of heading to sleep.


	4. Told You So

I don't know wtf happens. I open up a live preview of Entwined...and end up writing this instead. Go figure. The wait is almost over - in the next chapter...well let's just say things get interesting. Shit might also possibly hit the fan but we'll see how I actually end up typing it out haha.

The fight between the girls was my favorite scene of the last chapter. I really got into it, trying to imagine what two four year old girls arguing over a Barbie would be like. I'm glad the scene came out realistic! Thanks for the reviews, ladies. Enjoy the fluff and the mildly steamy!

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><p>After dinner, Hunter had spent a couple of hours with Jackson. He and Stephanie were allowing their son to move one gaming system into their room for the time being. When given this option, Jack hadn't hesitated to request the Playstation 3. They completely saw that coming, because he could play games from the previous 2 systems as well. They'd played Need for Speed Most Wanted and some random basketball game of his. Over the last year or so, Hunter had become an expert in racing games thanks to his son and he'd practically left his kid coughing in exhaust tonight. In the basketball game, he hadn't managed to score more than thirty points. Jack beat him by over fifty points. It was sad. But he was glad his son was feeling well enough to yell enthusiastically when he did something good. Even better was when Jack's team slam dunked on Hunter's and his son would jump up from the bed, point and say, "In your face!" Hunter would grab the boy and start tickling his sides before using his fit of giggles to sneak and score a couple of points of his own.<p>

Jack was taking a bath in his parents master bathroom – which he loved because they had a large whirlpool Jacuzzi tub with an LCD control system. It was his father's very lavish present to his mom for her 30th birthday almost two years prior. When Hunter had programmed the tub to give Stephanie a massage, her purr of delight was unmistakable. The kids were somewhat in on her spa treatment for that evening. Jack had walked in the bathroom and handed her a flute of champagne while the twins had brought a bowl of strawberries and another bowl of whipped cream. They'd each kissed her on the cheek and said happy birthday to her again before leaving her to relax. The tub ran him almost five thousand dollars, but he didn't care. It was small price to pay after all of the priceless gifts she had given him. Namely her love and their three children. And she deserved to be able to truly unwind on a regular basis, without having to go out to a spa when she didn't feel like leaving the house. It was the gift that kept on giving – especially since she often dragged her husband into the tub with her.

No, he hadn't bought it for her because he was thinking of the benefits he might possibly reap. But, he'd gladly take it all the same.

"Hey," Stephanie greeted as she walked into the room.

"Hey yourself," he winked. Sue him. Now he was thinking of those benefits.

"I take it Jack is-"

Stephanie stopped when she heard the distinct sound of water sloshing about and her son exclaiming, "Whee!" He was in the bathtub and apparently having a great time of it. Likely, he was purposely making himself float around in circles.

Hunter sent her a knowing smirk.

She clucked her tongue and smiled. "Never mind."

The parents switched off. Stephanie made sure their son actually got his washing accomplished and wasn't just swirling around in there. Mostly, it was just because she didn't want him staying in there too long since he was still sick. Jack hated being dirty so she knew he would clean himself well. The question was in how long it would take him to get around to it.

Likewise, the girls also loved to be clean. But, they were easily distracted because there were two of them in the tub and a lot of toys. They were in love with anything that was Barbie, Polly Pocket, Bratz, Disney or Cabbage Patch. If it was frilly and girly looking – as Hunter liked to call it – they would pretty much like it. And of course those clever merchandisers just had to make boats and other bath items that the parents and other people who loved to spoil their children were suckered into buying.

The girls had already washed up thoroughly enough for his liking and were now just playing around. As he directed, they'd kept it pretty tame and hadn't made any water splash onto the floor. He pulled his cell phone from his back pocket and noted that the time was almost eight. Time for the twins to head to bed. He reached down into the water and pulled up the stopper.

"Daddy, why Jack get to eat upstairs?" Kaycee asked, looking up at her father with curious blue eyes.

"Why he doesn't go to school?" Karmina added.

"Stand up, girls," he instructed and was pleased when they both did so without argument or question. Stephanie's pep talk tonight seemed to be working and the twins were listening better already. He grabbed two fluffy pink towels and draped one around each girl. The sound of the water draining was akin to a gurgle and was almost as loud as his own voice. He tucked a girl under each of his arms and carried them to their room.

After they had dried off, he helped them put on their pajamas. Tonight, they both chose Barbie sets. He and Stephanie didn't purposely dress them alike. When they all went to a store, they'd allow the girls to pick out what they wanted. It wasn't that much of a coincidence that his identical twin four-year olds would usually pick similar things. And that was on the rare occasion that what they picked wasn't exactly the same.

Hunter turned back their covers and they scampered up the bed and sat up. They still wanted an answer for why their brother was getting special treatment. He sat on Karmina's side of the bed and turned to face their eager expressions.

"To answer your questions," he began. "Jack is still sick. Do you want Jack to get you or someone at his school sick?"

Both girls widened their eyes and shook their heads no.

"Well, right now if Jack is around you too much, he'll get you sick."

Kaycee crossed her arms over her chest and looked at her Dad very seriously. And very much like her mother would. "Jack get us sick last time."

"Yeah," Karmina agreed. "Being sick is no fun, Daddy."

Hunter laughed at the accusation in Kaycee's tone. "Someone at his school got him sick," he lightly corrected her. "That's what would happen if we let him go to school. He would get another kid sick." He shifted his gaze to Karmina. "And then that kid wouldn't have fun."

A beat of silence passed between the father and daughters. "Understand?" He asked.

They nodded their heads, satisfied at their father's explanation. "Yeah!" They exclaimed.

He grinned before he clapped his hands once and stood up from the bed. "Good. Off to bed you go, munchkins!"

Karmina and Kaycee complied instantly and burrowed themselves under the covers. He tucked Karmina in first since she was closest to him. He leaned down to kiss her cheek, but she beat him to it. Her tiny lips pressed against his cheek before she settled back into the bed. "You're the bestest Daddy ever," she sighed.

He grinned and was so touched that he decided not to correct her butchering of the word. He planted noisy kisses all over her face until she was laughing hysterically and begging him to quit.

Hunter walked over to Kaycee's side of the bed and leaned down to tuck her in. He pressed a kiss to her cheek and she giggled and threw her arms around her father's neck. "I love you, Daddy."

Hunter felt absurdly giddy. After accidentally yelling at them just three hours prior – something he surely didn't intend to make a habit of doing – and being a little more firm when getting them bathed and ready for bed, his baby girls were still fond of him. He squeezed her back for a second and kissed her light brown waves. "I love you, too, Kayce." His daughter released him and relaxed into the bed, turning onto her side. "Love you, Karm," he told the elder twin.

She smiled before turning to lie in the opposite direction of her sister. "Love you, Daddy."

Preparing to leave their room, he turned around. Stephanie was leaning against the doorway casually, with her arms crossed over her chest. A soft smile was on her lips before she mouthed, "I told you so."

"Goodnight Karmina and Kaycee," she said to them.

The girls peeped over in their mother's direction. "Goodnight, Mommy."

Hunter walked to the door and flicked the light switch, bathing their room in almost total darkness. The small nightlight by their chest of drawers illuminated the room enough so that they could find the door without tripping over anything. Stephanie touched his bicep and backed up a little so he could close the door. "See? I didn't even get an 'I love you' out of them that time," she smirked.

"I love you," he compensated.

Stephanie grinned and pecked him on the lips before she jerked her head in the direction of Jackson's room. "Jack wants you." Even though her smile was brilliant, Hunter could see that she was exhausted. If he had spent just another couple of minutes with the girls, he probably would have turned around to find her sleeping against the doorway. Not that he blamed her. Because he was heading to work today and she wasn't, she had opted to stay up with Jack after they returned from the hospital, while he managed to catch a couple of hours of sleep.

On his lunch, he'd napped instead of eating. He had no idea if his wife had managed to catch any shut eye during the day. If the weariness in her eyes was any indication, that answer was probably no.

Hunter nodded his head in confirmation and they turned away from each other. Stephanie headed to their bedroom and Hunter headed to Jack's.

The door was slightly ajar so he called out, "Knock knock," while pushing it the rest of the way open.

"Hey Dad," Jack yawned and stretched his arms above his head.

Hunter smoothed his son's brown, curly hair back and held his hand against his forehead. No fever; that was good. "How are you feeling, big guy?" He asked, while his hazel eyes scanned Jack's currently blue-green ones for the answer his son might not want to reveal.

Jack shrugged. "I feel better. Mommy helped," he smiled.

_This is horrible, _Hunter thought. His son was acknowledging that his mother had taken good care of him. It was a totally innocent, albeit true comment. Yet, here he was having impure thoughts about Stephanie dressed up as a hot nurse. If only Jack knew the sorts of things he got up to with his beloved mother. _Well, that's how he got here in the first place. _"Yeah, your mom is pretty awesome. I'm glad you're feeling like yourself again."

His son's nose wrinkled with his distaste. "I hate being sick."

Hunter chuckled under his breath. "Most people do," he agreed. "Rest up and we can have you up and out again in no time."

Jack and Hunter high-fived. "Night, Dad."

"Night, kiddo," he returned before shutting off the lamp beside his son's bed. He walked over and closed the door behind himself and headed down the hallway.

Perhaps a full two or three minutes had passed since the last time he saw his wife. It was a testament for how worn out she must be tonight. She had already stripped down to nothing and was under the sheets. She was nearly facedown and by the looks of things, knocked out cold.

He closed and locked their bedroom door. They still kept a baby monitor hidden in the linen closet in the hallway. If one of the kids needed them, they would hear it from the receptive monitor on the nightstand. Hunter walked over to Stephanie's side of the bed to pick her clothes up from the floor. The pile came with him into the bathroom and he tossed each article in its respective, color-coded hamper. Since he was in here already, he decided to lose his clothes also.

Hunter switched off the light above the additional vanity sink that was perched outside of the bathroom. He yawned and scratched his stomach as he made his way across the room and to his side of the bed.

The mattress dipped under his weight and he shuffled underneath the sheets, folding the comforter down to the end of the bed. Quite frankly it was too warm for that tonight. He propped himself up on one elbow and watched the slight rise and fall of his wife's upper body. Before he could quell the urge, his hand reached out to touch her upper back. Softly, he moved her long, dark brown hair out of the way and leaned down to press a kiss against her bare shoulder. Then to her neck and finally her cheek.

Mostly satisfied, he started to pull away.

"Why'd you stop?" Stephanie's voice asked as she rolled over to look at him.

He smiled at her and shrugged. "You were sleeping."

"Very lightly. Now that you've gone and started something, it must be finished." Lazily, her hand lifted to rest against his chest. She was clearly still tired. But, she clearly didn't care about that.

Hunter snickered. With the moon and stars bathing the room in a soft glow from the skylight, he could easily see her. There was no mistaking the darkening of her eyes or minor increase in her breathing. "I started something?" He feigned disinterest by scoffing. "I barely touched you."

Her lip curved into a one-sided smirk. "True," she acquiesced. "So how about you touch me some more so that the fact I want you so much right now makes more sense?" She scooted closer to him. With both of them still lying on their sides, she threw one of her long legs around his waist and used it as leverage to drag them closer together. "Better yet, let's just touch each other. I see..." she dropped her gaze meaningfully for a second. "Rather, I feel that I'm not the only one in need for no good reason."

They laughed together and he yanked her to lie on top of him. His hands touched her neck and back as she kissed him languidly, pressing her body – a body that didn't betray the fact that she'd carried a baby boy and a set of twin girls – into his.


	5. Appetite

Today was Stephanie's first day back at the office. While Jack was fighting off the bronchitis, she'd worked from home. Hunter's job required him to actually go out and meet with people. Hers was a bit more flexible. She was able to login to the company database to see the statistical profiles of currently signed talent. And for new talent, her secretary could fax her the paperwork at home. She much preferred to get out of the house and interact with the world and all. But, she loved that her position was such that she could put her family first if the need arrived.

It was a warm, breezy afternoon in the middle of September. Her birthday was just two weeks away. She had no idea what her husband and family had planned, but she knew it would be good. They couldn't be a disappointment to her even if they tried. The simple fact that they loved and appreciated her was enough.

One of the benefits of having children was that it was no longer difficult to remember or make the effort to pack herself a lunch. She or Hunter would already be doing the task three times. So it was no trouble to just make a fourth and sometimes fifth meal to go.

Since she didn't have to go out for food, she was able to enjoy the sunny day. She decided to head over to Mill River Park. It was about five minutes from her job if she drove, but forty-five if she walked or took transit. That made absolutely no sense to her, but the staggering gap had made her decision for her. She'd driven to the area and parked in the parking lot of some random restaurant. In her haste to enjoy as much of the scenery as possible, she paid no attention to the street names. But, she was good with landmarks so she'd be fine.

As she walked, she thought of her family. Hunter had been doing well with balancing the line between being too lenient and too strict with their kids like an expert. At first, Kaycee and Karmina challenged him a little bit. Namely with their whole fight over Barbie, when Hunter had told Kaycee she should share. But, he took her advice and did better that night. So after three consistent days of Hunter putting his foot down with them when need be, they got over their notion that they could get away with anything if they simply pouted and batted their eyelashes with him.

The twins were four, so she knew there was bound to be some small hurdle along the way. But to put it mildly, they didn't purposely act out with their father just because they knew he wouldn't do anything about it. Now, if they misbehaved it was simply because they were spoiled, twin four-year old girls...and not because they were taking advantage of the fact that one of their parents would allow it.

Jack's symptoms had cleared two days ago and they'd given him an extra day off just in case. They felt that the worst thing they could do was send him to school, only to have him come back with the symptoms somehow having been aggravated. So, much to her active child's dismay, he'd been forced to stay home another day. Now he was fine and Stephanie and Hunter could totally relax.

The heels of her calf-high boots clacked rhythmically on the pavement as she walked briskly down the sidewalk. To celebrate the fact that she was no longer cooped up in the house with a sick six-year-old boy, she decided that today was "Trendy Day" in her department. The prior afternoon, she'd sent out a staff email declaring the day as such. No one could arrive in sweats or yoga pants, but jeans, polo shirts and casual dresses were fine. She'd worn a dress with a surplice neckline and tie-back empire waistband. The built-in belt was black; above that separation, the dress was cream and below it was navy blue. It stopped right at her knees. It was tasteful, sexy and held a semblance of professionalism all at the same time.

This morning, she'd woken up thirty minutes earlier than necessary. She'd dried her hair using the diffuser on the blow dryer. Then she'd used the flat iron to create vertical curls. She'd tousled her hair with her fingers a little bit to give the look more volume. All in all, she was just very pleased with life in general today. She had a great, healthy family and a great career. To top it off she also had a great outfit and hairstyle today, too. It was a beautiful day and she was going to enjoy her turkey and cheese sandwich, lays chips and Snapple in a scenic location.

A gust of wind blew a lock of hair into her eyes. Stephanie stopped in mid-stride and turned her head to the side, while trying to detach the strands of hair from her moist lips. With the lock of hair still in between her fingers, she stared wide-eyed at what she saw across the street.

Maybe she was seeing things. Calmly, she finished tucking the piece of hair behind her ear. She blinked hard, but the image remained the same.

Her husband was sitting on the patio of a coffee shop with a female companion. She could recognize his profile anywhere. There weren't many men running around Connecticut that were his size, had his blonde, curly hair or amazing body. It was definitely him.

Normally, that wouldn't have bothered her. But, he was supposed to be in New York scouting high school seniors at a wrestling competition. She swallowed hard and tried to come up with a good reason for what she was seeing. The wrestling team was made up of males. The coach and assistant coaches were male. She knew these things because Hunter had told her. They told each other everything. They didn't have secrets. It was possible that he was discussing a talented child's future with a parent. And maybe it the meeting was on the fly and he didn't have time to let her know now but he probably would have told her at home this evening.

_That's a reasonable explanation, _she told herself. Except that it was a quarter past noon and the competition started in forty-five minutes. The wind continued to blow her hair and dress gently behind her. She paid it no attention and instead pulled her cell phone from the zippered compartment in the front of her tote bag.

Stephanie willed her long, slender fingers to stop trembling while she hit speed dial one. The line rang once, twice...three times, before it went to voicemail. She hung up before the beep. Through the cars passing by, she saw her husband stand up. He was somewhat turned more in her direction now. The tiny bit of doubt that she had about it not being him vanished entirely. She wanted to turn away and pretend like she hadn't seen anything. She wanted to ignore the dread that was creeping up in her heart and mind, threatening to shatter her world to piece's.

But, like a deer in headlight she just stood there and looked. Her stomach lurched when he hugged the petite blonde with him and helped himself to a hearty squeeze of the woman's ass.

As soon as he pulled back and fused his mouth with the other woman's, Stephanie immediately felt like she was going to be sick. Her legs felt horribly unsteady, like they might give out at any second. Moving out of the way of pedestrian traffic, she took a seat at the first bench she saw. She allowed her black tote bag to land on the ground unceremoniously. The sound of the Snapple bottle slamming into the ground and breaking...broke her. She covered her face with her hands and began to cry.

A full minute, perhaps less, had passed when her phone started to ring. She picked up her Blackberry and scowled at the readout. It was Hunter. While she debated, she glanced across the way and saw that the ass-grabbing son of a bitch was walking down the street with his phone pressed to his ear. She swallowed hard and accepted the call.

"Where are you?" She asked pointedly.

Hunter spoke slowly. His wife sounded very off. And he'd told her what was going down with him for the day. "In New York."

Stephanie widened her eyes in mock surprise, though he couldn't see it. "Really?" She asked sarcastically. "And just what are you doing in New York?"

"Uh, I just grabbed a bagel from a coffee shop. Now I'm heading over to the high school."

So he was at least partially lying. Maybe he did eat a damn bagel. It was obvious that she hadn't spotted him until his little meet was almost over. And since he'd left now, he could still make it to the competition on time. If she were to check around as to his whereabouts for the afternoon, his alibi would be somewhat solid. But, she didn't need to do that. She'd seen him with her very own eyes. "Okay, Hunter," was her simple reply.

"Is everything okay, Steph? You sound upset."

_No, everything is not okay, _she thought acidly. She was getting pissed off that he was lying about being in New York and had the nerve to act like he cared about how she was doing right now. Obviously she was the last thing on his mind while he frolicked with his damn blonde bimbo. "I'll be just fine," she said determinedly. She already knew how she was going to handle this. She would approach him head on this evening. As soon as the kids were asleep she would give him a piece of her mind. "I'll see you at home."

"Okay," he stated unsurely. "See you then."

Stephanie ended the call and was fuming. Her workday was only half over and she still had some things to look through. If he didn't flake to cavort around with his slut, Hunter would be picking the girls up at four. School ended at two, but they had gymnastics practice three days a week for two hours at a time. Hunter would then head over to get Jackson. His school ended at three and baseball practice lasted until six.

If her husband followed the routine they'd set up instead of using the gap to continue cheating on her, he would be home for at least an hour. She could use that time to talk to him instead of waiting until tonight. Quite frankly, her temper and her hurt wouldn't allow her to bottle her feelings up for another eight hours.

The twins were very intelligent. But they were still four and it would be much easier to play her tension off as nothing than it would be with Jack.

Already having calmed down because she had some semblance of a plan, she reached down to retrieve her soaked bag. She eyeballed it with disgust as the kiwi strawberry drink leaked slowly from the bottom. She reached in and grabbed her keys and wallet. The cards and cash protected by the black leather could be saved. The few cosmetic accessories could be easily replaced. The bag and everything else in it, got thrown into the trashcan beside her.

As upset as she was, she just hoped her marriage was more salvageable than her lunch had been.

Spotting Hunter's head of blonde hair a good three blocks away, she reconsidered. Screw it; she'd lost her damn appetite anyway. Whether it was for food or her husband, she wasn't sure. Maybe it was both.


	6. Pain

Thanks for the reviews, ladies! They are very much welcomed and appreciated!

I'm not sure how pleased I am with the dialogue in this chapter. I must have imagined it go down in my head several different ways. But ultimately I decided to split the fight up a bit. You'll see what I mean! Enjoy!

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><p>The last four hours had been absolute hell for Stephanie. Part of her had wanted to call her husband and curse him out for what he was doing to her. But, she was determined not to be like him. See, after all the shit they'd been through, she deserved better than this from him. If sex was the problem he should have talked to her about it. Despite having three kids they remained very active and creative. It was still mind-blowing and Hunter was never shy about letting her know that. Perhaps he just wanted someone different.<p>

If that was the case, she would have been willing to try role-playing. A wig and a costume wouldn't have been too much for him to ask of her.

Maybe he just wanted to be free of the domestic life for a little bit. Maybe his trollop was his escape, his link to a more exciting and carefree time. Stephanie could've understood that, too. There were days where she was sorely tempted to drop all three kids off with their grandparents and just do what she wanted all day. If that was Hunter's excuse, she wanted to know why he didn't just communicate that to her. Sometimes they took the night for themselves and occasionally they took an entire weekend. If he needed that to happen more often she would have gladly obliged him.

But, he hadn't given her that chance. He didn't open up to her about whatever his fucking problem was. He'd decided that the solution was to run around on her.

She'd give him what he deserved – what he hadn't given her. Complete and utter face to face honesty.

Stephanie leaned forward and gripped the stem of the wineglass using her thumb and index finger. She brought the glass to her lips and tilted her head back, taking a long swallow. People at work were always raving about how good Moscato was. Today seemed to be as good a day as any to see what all the hype was about. And she found that she wasn't disappointed with the sweet flavor of the wine. She'd never been much of a drinker. On the way home from work she'd stopped by Bevmo to pick up two bottles. They were on sale buy one get one free. It was like fate knew that she'd potentially be in need of large amounts of alcohol.

_How many glasses have I had already? _She wondered inwardly. Who the hell knew what amount of ounces equaled a true glass of wine. All she knew was that over a quarter of the bottle was gone already.

Why was she suddenly not enough for her husband? Whatever his reasoning for stepping out on her, that question would remain unanswered. Why did he bother with loving words, affection and gestures? Perhaps so she wouldn't suspect him of adultery. That was the only thing that made sense to her. She was getting pissed off that while she sat at home caring for their sick child, he was probably off getting blow jobs by the bimbo.

Then again...what if this wasn't the first time he'd cheated? His job required more travel than hers so he would certainly have the opportunity to carry on one or more affairs.

She forced her mind to shut the hell up by refilling her glass and taking an eager sip. Speculation would get her nowhere. All she knew for sure was what she saw. The rest of the gaps in the story would have to be filled in by him.

The low rumble in the garage alerted her that Hunter and the twins were home. For courage, she took another gulp of wine. She got up from the leather couch and padded into the kitchen barefoot. She pulled one of the barstools up to the beige, granite countertop.

Using the little bit of judgment that the wine hadn't sapped from her mind, she put the glass down. The twins didn't need to see her with it or they'd ask questions. Knowing them, they would ask to taste it simply because their mother was and that wasn't something she was prepared to deal with.

Hunter walked into the kitchen with Karmina attached to his right hip and Kaycee on the left. His gaze immediately locked on her face and he sent her a megawatt smile. For a second she was breathless and totally forgot how incredibly pissed off and hurt by him she was. How could he be doing this to her while making her feel so happy every day? And he even looked happy. Either he was the greatest actor in the world or he was the type of guy that just needed more than one woman. Neither one of those was all right by her.

"Hi Mommy!" Both girls greeted her, with each using their free hand to send her a wave.

She swallowed hard and tried to appear normal. It wasn't that difficult since she wasn't mad with the girls. "Hi, my loves." She sent them a smile that was actually genuine. She loved them – all three of her kids really, more than words could ever say. And she knew Hunter did, too. So why the hell didn't he think about how much his actions would hurt if they ever came to light? Did he not think that what he was doing would rip his family apart?

"Hey," Hunter said, with that stupid happy smile still on his face. That, combined with his voice just pissed her off all over again. It was a lie. Everything about him and the life they had together was a lie.

Stephanie's blue eyes looked him up and down quickly. "Hey."

Hunter leaned down with the intention to press his lips against hers. Stephanie turned her head at the last moment, making his kiss land on her cheek instead. He pulled back and eyed her quizzically. His head turned when the sunlight glinted off of the wineglass. By the looks of her red, slightly glazed over eyes he could tell that she'd been doing two things: crying and drinking. He unhooked the twins from his sides and sat them down. "Go upstairs and watch TV in Mommy and Daddy's room," he told them with as much enthusiasm as he could muster.

"But we're not sick, Daddy," Karmina told him with a confused look on her face.

He passed a hand over her wavy, light brown ponytail. "I know. But we," he gestured to himself and their mother, "have grown up stuff to talk about."

"Okay!" Kaycee agreed excitedly, pulling her sister along by her arm. The last thing they wanted to do was stick around for one of the boring adult conversations. They would much rather watch cartoons and play with their toys.

As soon as Hunter heard the twins' footsteps hit the top of the stairs, he turned to Stephanie. He was planning to ask what the hell was up with her attitude, but he didn't get the chance.

When his eyes locked on hers, he was met by the harsh sting of her palm connecting with his cheek. The action shocked him and made his head turn to the side a little bit. He quickly regained his composure and stared a hole through her.

Hunter rubbed his cheek and narrowed his eyes at his wife. "If this is some kind of role-playing thing? I don't like it."

Stephanie shook her head and curled her lip up slightly in minor disgust. "Now is really not the time to be making jokes with me."

"What is your fucking problem, Stephanie?" He asked loudly. "You were fine this morning, but you've been acting weird ever since this afternoon. Then you have an attitude when I get home and now you've slapped me. And you've been drinking!"

"You're my fucking problem," she answered heatedly.

Hunter licked his lips and clasped his hands together in an attempt to remain calm. Both he and Stephanie had tempers. And if they both released them in full force, absolutely nothing would get solved. He wasn't sure what exactly needed solving, but that wasn't the point. "Did I say something to upset you when we were on the phone earlier?"

She shrugged. "Other than lying right through your teeth? No."

He furrowed his brow in confusion. The conversation had been all of one minute long. He made it a point to never lie to her. But even if he'd wanted to, there was nothing he could make up in that amount of time. "I can honestly say I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I wouldn't expect you to admit to it. You've been lying to me for God knows how long," she ignored her husband's disapproving stare and downed the rest of her glass of wine. Screw him and his judgmental look. She very much disapproved of him having another woman. "I guess I should've seen this coming."

Hunter threw his arms up into the air. She was so incredibly upset with him and he still had no clue why. "Seen what coming? What the hell are you so mad about Stephanie?"

She poked a well-manicured finger into his chest. "I saw you at the coffee shop today, Hunter! I saw everything!"

"And just what, if I may ask, were you doing there? At that time you should've been at work."

A bitter laugh was her immediate reply. "Oh, I bet that's what you were counting on. Is this what you do regularly, Hunter? Use the fact that you know my schedule to run around on me?"

Maybe he heard her incorrectly or misunderstood the meaning of what she just said. "Run around?" He questioned.

"You know what the hell I'm talking about. Cheat, be an adulterer...be a lying bastard," she made a circular motion with her hand waiting for one of the synonyms to ring a bell. She was about to continue her tirade until his abrupt laughter stopped her. She narrowed her eyes and slapped him again.

"Stop fucking hitting me!"

"I can't believe you, Hunter! After all of this time together all you can manage is to laugh. I saw you cheating on me with my own eyes. Do you have any idea how much you've hurt me? Or do you even care?"

Hunter opened his mouth to speak, but Stephanie held up her hand to silence him. She didn't want to know the answers to either of those. He hadn't denied what she saw. He just found it extraordinarily amusing it seemed.

"I should have known better," she said with a sad shake of her head.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Your history with women. I was an idiot to think you could truly leave that part of your life in the past. In terms of status you might not be like him...but the end result is the same...you let your family down." She arched an eyebrow pointedly and said, "Maybe you're more like your father than I thought."

Hunter drew his bottom lip in and chewed it anxiously. "Go to hell, Stephanie," was all he said before he turned his back on her and walked away.

Stephanie's gaze burned a hole through his retreating form. Her comment about his father had been a low blow and she knew it. She just wanted to hurt him. Since she wasn't a cheater, she couldn't cause him pain in the very way he'd caused it to her. So she'd settled for the second best way.

The fact that she'd won the argument was apparent in the sound of him stomping through the living room, opening and then slamming the front door. Yet, she found herself wishing she'd handled it differently. She was no closer to understanding why he'd fooled around on her than she was four and a half hours ago.

_Oh well, _she thought. He could stay out there all he wanted, but they would finish this later. She felt slightly better now that she'd revealed what she'd seen. But, this conversation wasn't over by a long shot. After he picked up Jackson and they got the kids in bed, she was damn sure going to finish what she started. Until then, she'd just make a snack for the girls and figure out what she wanted the kids to have for dinner. She wasn't going to allow her marital problems to get in the way of being a good mother.


	7. Promise Unbroken

Hunter had been walking around his and Stephanie's gated property for over half an hour. If it wasn't so big, he would have walked around the neighborhood instead. He'd even come across Bailey and Max lounging by the pool. Distantly, he'd wondered if either or both dogs ever just helped themselves to a swim when they felt like it.

Today was such a nice day. And for him it had gone perfectly fine right up until Stephanie's call. His heart had been telling him to keep her on the phone and make her explain why she sounded so off. But his head had told him to let it go. He knew that he hadn't done anything to warrant her behavior. And whatever did, she would let him know when they saw each other at home.

Boy was he right about that.

But, at the same time he was wrong. Contrary to his belief, she was absolutely furious with him. To the point where she'd been half-wasted when he walked in with Karmina and Kaycee. He totally understood her reactions to him now. Somehow, she was under the impression that he had been unfaithful to her.

The idea that he would cheat on her was so absolutely absurd that he hadn't responded to her accusation properly. He'd...laughed. It wasn't because he was amused or entertained by what she was saying. He wasn't. Stephanie meant everything to him and he didn't need to lose her a second time to figure that out. His laughter was incredulous and the thought of, "Are you kidding me?" was running through his head.

Then she'd slapped him again and answered that unspoken question. He'd intended to explain himself – explain that he didn't know what she'd seen but that she was clearly mistaken. He'd been by himself at the coffee shop in New York. No woman other than the barista had even spoken to him. Surely that couldn't have been the incident that had her pegging him as a cheater. Stephanie wasn't totally irrational.

He was about to talk it out with her, but she had interrupted him. And something horrible came out of her mouth: that maybe he was like his father. All of the talks they had where she drove home to him that he wasn't like that man, flashed through his mind. And just like that, the positive effects of those talks vanished.

It shouldn't have. Because the only reason Stephanie had said that was because she was convinced he had a mistress that he was embracing in broad daylight. She would have never said such a thing otherwise. But her comment was like some deadly ninja assassin or something. Even after he had calmed down and thought things through, he couldn't shake the chill – couldn't get the assassin to stop taking shots at him.

Hunter glanced at his watch. It was 5:30 and time to leave to get Jackson. Technically, the boy didn't get out of baseball practice until 6. But both Hunter and Stephanie felt it was better to risk being a little early to pick up the kids rather than underestimate traffic and risk being late. He remembered why she felt that way: when her parents were in town they frequently forgot about her. They either ended up being very late in getting her or she gave up and walked home. It hadn't been a far walk – only about twenty minutes. But when you're a kid expecting to spend some much-needed time with your parents, even that was too far.

Not having the best upbringing had its advantages. As parents they were determined not to make the same mistakes their parents, or lack thereof, did. The things that had hurt them growing up, they vowed never to do to their children. They'd been successful at that, even if Hunter sometimes struggled with the line of discipline. But, he was getting better.

Stephanie had made him better at it. And she'd also caused him to leave his womanizing past behind. She hadn't judged him for it at all. In the WWE ring rats were many and relationships were few. She understood that he'd sown his wild oats so to speak. And as long as he was done with that lifestyle, it was fine.

She'd tried to hurt him as she was convinced he had hurt her. And she hadn't been unsuccessful. This woman knew him better than anyone. The vulnerability in that was evident seeing as how she'd managed to cut him in two ways within two minutes. But, that wasn't Steph. That wasn't his wife's nature. Only when she felt betrayed did she purposely try to hurt people. He tried to imagine how he would feel if he thought he saw her cheating on him. It was unbearable. So he understood that the woman who said those things wasn't his wife. Not really. Because his wife was _not _on the receiving end of adultery. He'd make her see that and the monster that had taken her over would leave.

He wasn't about to have his marriage in turmoil over an offense he would never dream of committing. Stephanie was everything he needed but had never known to look or ask for. As soon as she entered his life he knew that he wanted to be a better person for her. In some ways he had been successful. But his insecurity had caused him to not be open with her and it almost irreparably damaged their relationship. She gave him a chance that he probably didn't deserve. And he hadn't let her down. He'd risen to the challenge, met every one of her expectations and made their marriage better than it ever had been.

For him, there was no turning back. He'd made promises to her and to their kids that he intended to keep. And despite the fact that they weren't on the best terms right now, he would continue to uphold his end of the bargain.

With a heavy sigh he pushed open the front door. He was moderately pleased that Stephanie hadn't locked him out. "Steph?" He called out. "I'm leaving to pick up Jack."

"Okay," was her dull response.

"Do you want me to take the girls with me?"

_Translation: are you emotionally and mentally stable enough to take care of them? _Stephanie thought. Now the asshole thought she couldn't take care of her own kids. Well, if she wasn't stable enough, it was his damn fault anyway. After finding out he'd been unfaithful, it would be her right and privilege to be out of sorts. "We'll be fine," she hissed out.

An hour and a half later, Jackson got up from the kitchen table looking back and forth between his parents. On the ride home, his Dad was uncharacteristically quiet. Like something was bothering him. Then his mom had hugged him when he got home, but would hardly look at his father. They were definitely upset with each other. More so, it was clear that his Mom was angry with his Dad. His father just looked sad and like he was thinking really hard. But his Mom looked mad whenever he started to speak during dinner. She was speaking to him and his sisters perfectly fine, but wouldn't say more than two words to his father. Whatever was going on, he just hoped that they worked it out soon.

Tonight, the parents had switched off. Stephanie was getting her duplicates bathed and ready for bed. And Hunter was tending to Jackson. Hunter had just said goodnight to his son and shut off the light. "Are you and Mommy mad at each other?" He asked softly.

Hunter stiffened and kept his back to his little boy. He didn't want to outright lie. But, he couldn't tell the whole truth either. It was beyond what a child should know about their parents at this age. Especially since Stephanie was completely and totally misguided. "Kind of," was his noncommittal reply.

A beat of silence passed. Jack drew in his bottom lip before he asked. "Are you going to break up?"

Hunter sighed. "I love your Mom, kid. I'll do all I can to make sure that doesn't happen."

He shuffled down the hallway slowly. The door to the twins' room was already closed. As tired as they had been after dinner, he knew that they were out of it as soon as their adorable heads touched their pillows. The door to the master bedroom was ajar and he pushed it open the rest of the way and entered.

Stephanie was sitting on the chaise lounge in their room. She kept her head down and was clearly refusing to look at him, but at least she didn't have a wine glass in hand. It was a small blessing that even though she hadn't spoken to him much during dinner, she hadn't been knocking back booze either.

The door made a small clicking noise as he closed and locked it. His large frame sat on the bed and he turned to face her. They were only apart by less than ten feet, but somehow it felt like a mile to him.

A full minute of silence passed and finally he couldn't take it anymore. "Are we going to talk?"

She turned her head to the side and ran a hand through her hair. "What's left to say, Hunter? You didn't deny anything. You were just concerned with how I ended up seeing you."

"I don't know what you think you saw. I really don't. But I haven't cheated on you. I haven't even come close."

"So, what? You think what you did is okay because you didn't just go right ahead and fuck her in the middle of the street?"

Hunter stared at her. Already, he felt himself growing frustrated with this conversation. It was like she was determined to condemn him before even talking to him. "The only person I've been fucking is you, Stephanie."

At this her head shot up and her icy glare kept him from putting his foot in his mouth even more. That, plus the fact that she'd obviously kept her face obscured to hide the silent tears she was shedding. She inhaled deeply and shook her head. "If that's your description of our sex life, it's no wonder you feel comfortable with-"

"Oh will you come off it, Steph? I haven't cheated on you. Get that through your thick head."

"Then explain what I saw today," she commanded and chewed her lip briefly. "Can you do that?"

Hunter bowed his head and kicked his feet at imaginary rocks. He already knew that what he was about to say would only land him in more undeserved trouble. But, he didn't have an explanation for her. How could you explain what didn't actually happen? "I can't. You must be seeing things."

Stephanie let out a disgusted breath. "Get out."

His hazel eyes widened and he stood up from the bed to look at her. She looked absolutely serious. "What?"

"You heard me. Leave."

Defiantly he shook his head. "Six years ago I promised you that I'd never even come close to leaving you. I'm going to keep that promise."

Stephanie nodded solemnly. She licked her lips and glanced at the floor before meeting his eyes again. "It's not leaving. It's me kicking you out." She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back into the cushions. "So there," she added stubbornly while she ignored the slow stream of tears traveling down her cheeks. "Promise unbroken."

Hunter squared his jaw and decided to just go. Stephanie sat in the chair flicking through the cable channels with disinterest. Anything to keep from paying attention to what was currently happening.

Hastily, he threw items into a duffel bag. He didn't want to leave but at the same time he couldn't get out of here fast enough. It was all in his head, but he was having difficulty functioning right now. He couldn't believe this was happening to them after all they'd been through together. After he'd done nothing but try to be a good husband to her and father to their kids.

But, what else could he do but honor her request? It was obvious that she wasn't prepared to listen to him. At least not tonight. When she wanted to be, she was the most stubborn person on the face of the planet. Hopefully when the situation wasn't so raw, he could talk some damn sense into her. He didn't know how he could 'prove' that he wasn't a cheater. Usually people had to have some kind of proof to label you as such. And had he seen this situation coming he damn sure would've brought along a witness or something to the coffee shop.

_Shit, a witness, _he thought. It was like he was on trial. Except that instead of being innocent until proven guilty, it was the other way around. Stephanie was mistaken in what she thought she saw. Asking her what the hell she was even doing in New York wouldn't be helpful. She would think he was trying to turn the situation around on her.

He adjusted the strap of the duffel bag on his shoulders. "What are you going to tell the kids?"

A careless shrug was her only reply. She sniffled and wiped at her eyes.

Hunter looked at the floor. "I didn't do what you're accusing me of, Stephanie. I love you."

Stephanie swallowed the hot lump that had lodged itself in her throat as soon as she told him to leave. Her eyes burned horribly, but she was trying to maintain some semblance of dignity in front of him. He was a liar and a cheater. It seemed that's what some of the men around her did best. And not one of them deserved to see the full extent of the damage they'd done. She stuck her chin out and refused to look at him. "Make sure not to wake the kids up while you're heading out."

Hunter had no response for her so he simply unlocked the door and headed out with the few days' worth of clothes he'd packed. This separation was stupid and unnecessary and surely wouldn't go on any longer than that. Quietly, he snuck in to kiss Karmina and Kaycee on their cheeks. He'd put Jack to bed so he didn't go in there. He headed down the stairs with a heavy heart.

When Stephanie felt the mild vibration that let her know he'd driven out of the garage, she ran down the stairs at a sprint. She got to the front door just in time to see him pass by. "I love you, too."


	8. Catch 22

Stephanie's head was throbbing and her stomach was protesting at who knows what. God, what time had she gone to bed? Then again, that wasn't what she'd done exactly. She'd eventually just passed the hell out. The telltale bottle of wine seemed to be wedged between her leg and the couch.

After Hunter left, she'd completely fallen apart. She knew it was a horrible idea to dull her pain with alcohol, but she hadn't been able to help herself. She didn't want to hurt. Didn't want to miss him like crazy. Whenever the business had kept them apart overnight, she always had difficulty sleeping. Now that the kids were older they would definitely notice if she'd gone without sleep.

Then again, maybe drinking so much that she'd pass out wasn't the best idea either. All three kids were bound to notice that she felt like total shit.

"Mom! Mommy! I can't find Dad." A small hand tugged at hers, beckoning her to come back to the land of the living.

Her eyelids fluttered open and she squinted at the light. That was certainly not helping her head. She licked her lips and swallowed. A wince was her response to the dryness of her throat. "Huh? What is it, Jack?"

"School starts in twenty minutes and Dad isn't here. I need him to do my hair and drop me off!"

She covered her face with both hands and groaned loudly. Right now she wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep. She really should've set an alarm. But when she'd been soothing herself unconscious it didn't occur to her that she'd have to take the kids to school today.

"He's not going to be here this morning. I'll do that for you." She reached out for Jack and he took a step back.

"Mom!" He said loudly, making Stephanie's head throb more. "Only Dad does it! I need him!"

Stephanie let out a frustrated half-snort and stood up from the couch. "Well he's not doing it for you today. So either you do it yourself, let me do it or just go to school with unruly hair."

"But, Mom!" He protested.

"I don't want to hear it Jack!" She snapped. "We don't have time for this crap. All right? So figure it out."

"I'll do it myself," he said quietly and started a slow, sad walk up the stairs.

Stephanie clasped her hands behind her head. She'd been awake for all of three minutes and had already lost her patience with one child. How the hell was she going to handle the twins? She walked up the stairs and into the room. The girls weren't in there. She heard water running from the direction of the kids' bathroom and she poked her head in to see what was going on.

Jack was at one sink wetting his hair and trying to create the exact kind of ponytail his father would wear. Karmina and Kaycee were at the other sink brushing their teeth.

"Anybody hungry?" She asked.

Seeing as the twins had a mouth full of toothpaste, Jack spoke on behalf of everyone. "We ate cereal."

Stephanie nodded solemnly and walked over to plant an appreciative kiss on her son's cheek before hugging the girls. Jack usually helped his Dad with breakfast and with getting his sisters ready. While it was good that Jack had taken charge of the situation and had made her job easier this morning, she couldn't help but feel a little bad. If anything, her son should have assisted her, rather than filling in for her entirely. He was six. And she was the adult in this situation. She'd well and truly dropped the ball on parenting this morning. But, she was determined to do better in the future.

Jack's school started at 8:30 and the twins' started at 9. Since everyone was pretty much ready except for her, they could all make it to where they needed to be on time. Or possibly just a little late.

She left her kids to their tasks and walked into her own bedroom. She splashed cold water on her face and hair. It helped slightly with the cloud of haziness she was trying to shake off. She brushed her teeth with haste and threw her long, brown hair into a messy ponytail. Given the current time constraint, she didn't bother changing her clothes. Sweatpants and a baby tee would do for dropping the kids off. She pulled on a pair of sneakers and called out to the children that she'd be downstairs in the car.

Inside her vehicle she didn't hesitate to break out the Aleve and a bottle of water. She downed the medicine and hoped that it kicked it sooner rather than later.

A few minutes later her three kids quietly hopped into the backseat. The entire ride was spent in almost complete silence. Any hope that Stephanie had about them not being too affected by her husband's absence vanished. Either they were moping because he wasn't here and they didn't know why. Or they had picked up on Stephanie's melancholy attitude. It was probably a combination of both.

Stephanie could only control her own attitude. It was Hunter's fault he'd been told to leave. After basically catching him red-handed he still wouldn't be honest with her. They couldn't be together while that was happening. She needed to understand why he'd done what he did. And if it was something they could work through, she would try her hardest. She knew that she didn't want their marriage to be over. But, she refused to continue living a lie.

She didn't want to end up like her mother. While Stephanie loved her mother and father tremendously, the fact of the matter was the Vince always was and probably always would be a cheater. The first two times her mother had somewhat confronted him about it. Even she and Shane had tried talking to him about it. And he'd lied right to the entire family's face both times.

Once light was shone on the first affair, Linda and Vince had appeared to work things out. So when the matriarch suspected a second affair, Shane and Stephanie were quick to defend their father. They'd spoken to him and Vince had denied any wrongdoing. Without telling anyone, Linda had hired a private investigator and it turned out that she was right to be suspicious.

After that, it was like Vince decided that he wasn't going to even bother trying to hide his future affairs. Sometimes they'd been carried out right on television for the world to see. Sometimes not.

Her Mom was in a unique and painful predicament. Vince meant the world to her and she couldn't just leave. She felt that it would cause her pain for every day of the rest of her life. But with an adulterous husband, she was also subject to being hurt. But, in Linda's opinion, the pain of Vince's occasional fling was less than the pain of ending their marriage.

Unlike many men, her father never had a reasonable, workable excuse for what he was doing. It was just something that happened. There was no particular issue he was presenting that could be worked through. Consequently, the behavior didn't change.

Stephanie loved her husband dearly. And she knew that despite what he'd done, he loved her as well. But she wouldn't end up like her mother. Where the pain endured by staying in the marriage was only slightly less than leaving it. Linda had reached a point where she just accepted that things would never change. And that defeat was a very sad one, in Stephanie's opinion. A relationship should never crumble so much that there weren't any expectations for fidelity and respect.

Maybe that was the entire problem. Her father's numerous indiscretions were a clear sign of disrespect. Linda no longer demanded that she and the marriage vows be respected. It would be a cold day in hell before Stephanie allowed Hunter to blatantly disrespect her.

She pulled her SUV over to the curb at the twins' school. Jack had been five minutes late. Ms. Langley's nose had wrinkled in annoyance and minor disgust at her excuse that she'd woken up late. Right before the woman kindly informed her that Hunter was never late dropping Jackson off. The boy had only been in school for a couple of weeks. In Stephanie's eyes she could take her unattractive body, face and attitude right along with her obvious attraction to Hunter, and go straight to hell. Of course she hadn't said that. She'd bitten her tongue, apologized and decreed that it would never happen again.

On the other hand, the girls would be five minutes early. Stephanie shut off the car and went around to the passenger side of the car. She opened the back door for Karmina and Kaycee and shut it once they were on the curb safely. She engaged her car's alarm and held the girls' hands while she walked them into school.

She had gotten two out of three kids to school on time. Then again, she supposed it was a little unfair that Karmina and Kaycee were kind of a package deal. But given how the morning had started, she would take every advantage she could get.

Hopefully Hunter explained himself soon and they could fix whatever had been broken between them. Preferably before she ran herself ragged taking care of their children without his help.

"Hunter, why'd you have to do this?" She asked quietly of no one in particular.

"Huh?"

Stephanie looked down to her right to see Karmina staring up at her with a confused expression while she walked. "Nothing, Karm."

The little girl shrugged. Stephanie was grateful that Kaycee was paying the exchange no attention. They reached the classroom and she released their hands, watching as they took off their backpacks and placed them into cubby's on the other side of the room.

"Is Daddy picking us up?" Kaycee asked.

The blood rushed to Stephanie's cheeks and she suddenly felt like all the kids and even their teacher was looking at her anticipating her reply. "I-I don't know," she admitted.

Her audience seemed perplexed, but went back to what they were doing. The teacher sent her a sympathetic frown. Stephanie guessed that her attire, disheveled hair and tired eyes gave away that something bad was happening at home.

"If he doesn't, I'll pick you up," she offered to her pouting four year olds.

"Okay," Kaycee agreed.

"Either way I'll see you later, girls."

"I love you," Karmina called out to her mother's retreating form.

Stephanie suddenly felt the urge to cry. Her astute child had recognized that her mother needed to hear that on this particular morning. "I love you too, little ones."

Despite her mood this morning, it was comforting to know that none of her kids were mad at her. She just desperately hoped this separation wasn't a prolonged one. She couldn't just keep ignoring their questioning gazes forever. Maybe she and Hunter could meet for lunch to talk about things soon.


	9. Wavering Logic and Defenses

This was originally meant to be ch. 10 or 11. But, I thought this would be a nice 4th of July present kind of thing haha. Plus, I guess a pain-fest lasting for 4 chapters was enough. Some of you had raised the issue that Hunter denied cheating but didn't explicitly deny that Stephanie had seen that incriminating scene in Stamford. So this directly brings that part up. Enjoy! The pain isn't totally over but at least the truth is out, right? :-D

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><p>The last three days had been a slow torture for Hunter. On day one of the separation, he had called his wife to ask her if he could pick the kids up from school and take them out for pizza. While they were bound to notice that things were strange, he thought that it might help out a little. The kids could have some small sense of normalcy and Stephanie wouldn't have to leave work early to get them. Plus, he could spend a little bit of time with them.<p>

They'd worked out an arrangement of sorts. Stephanie would drop them off and Hunter would pick them up and feed them. They could have dessert with Stephanie. All three children were utterly confused as to what was going on, but thankfully kept the questions to a minimum. Only with kids would vagueness and claiming that you knew nothing actually fly.

Once again, Hunter had turned to Shane for help on what his sister was thinking. But, apparently Stephanie hadn't informed any of her family members of what was going on. That was strange, but he assumed there must have been a good reason for it.

He knew that he hadn't done anything wrong. But he also knew that he hadn't handled the two arguments well either. It's just that he was initially so blindsided that he wasn't able to think clearly. The situation came at him out of left field. As did Stephanie's decision to kick him out.

It was like he just clammed up and couldn't come up with a damn thing to defend himself. But why should he have been able to? He'd done nothing to warrant needing a defense. And he had no idea how to make Stephanie see that.

But he was going to try.

Today was Saturday. Stephanie had dropped the kids off with her parents so that they could meet up for lunch. For the last few minutes, he'd been listening to her version of the events that had taken a wrecking ball to his relationship.

Once she was done, Hunter was stunned at the absurdity of her story. "You saw some tall guy with blonde hair having a make out and feeling up session with some woman through passing traffic. You assumed it was me and kicked me out. And _you _want an explanation and an apology from me?" He chuckled bitterly.

"Well when you put it that way I sound crazy," Stephanie said.

An eyebrow arch and silence were his reply.

Stephanie licked her lips and placed her hands on the table with her palms down. "You don't understand. I watched-"

"From across the street," Hunter interjected.

The blood rushed to her cheeks in embarrassment. He was discrediting her story already. "I watched from across the street while someone who had your exact profile squeezed some woman's ass right before he kissed her. At that very moment you weren't answering your phone. I sat down and cried. When you started calling me, I looked up and you-"

"The other guy," he corrected.

"Fine. The guy I saw was walking away with his cell phone pressed to his ear. To top it off then you said you were in New York just leaving a coffee shop after eating a bagel and were on your way to the competition. Funny enough was that from where I was, one could've made it to that high school with some time to spare."

"Jesus," he muttered.

Stephanie nodded, pleased that he saw her point now. Hopefully, given all the evidence she had provided he would just apologize for what he had done. He'd explain, they'd work on it and he could come back home. Hopefully he saw that it was futile to try to deny his actions.

Hunter had to admit that if the shoe was on the other foot, he probably would've condemned her just as she'd done him. Though he knew that it was pure coincidence, his wife wasn't as easily convinced. He was asking her to ignore what she'd seen, throw skepticism out of the window and trust him. It would be asking for a lot if he had actually done anything to her recently. But, it wasn't lost upon him that this was the second time in their marriage that he would ask her to do that. Six years ago they were in a mess for an entirely different reason. He'd had to ask her to trust that he would open up, work on his and their issues and make their marriage better than ever.

And he hadn't disappointed her. But this? There was no specific issue to talk out because nobody did anything wrong. Everything Stephanie was doing and saying was justified. Or, it would be if he was actually guilty.

Hunter chewed his lip as he composed his response in his head. He didn't know if it would change her outlook, but it was nothing but the truth. "What you saw was coincidence, Steph. This happened in Stamford and I was in New York."

"Can you prove that?"

"I'm sorry," was his sarcastic apology. "But when I stopped to eat a godforsaken bagel that afternoon, I didn't realize I'd need to have evidence of my whereabouts."

Stephanie sucked her teeth and waved her hand in dismissal of his rant, urging him to continue.

"I don't know who or what exactly you saw. But it wasn't me."

"Oh my God!" She exclaimed. "The Shaggy Defense? Really? This is not the year 2000."

"Maybe not, but the fact remains that I didn't do this, Steph. You obviously have no idea how much I love you."

"I love you, too. You know that. I've done everything...given you everything I have to make you happy."

"You have. But I've done the same. We're balanced now."

It didn't escape Stephanie's memory that the last time they were in a world of trouble she'd given a spiel about how relationships needed to be balanced. He had recognized that they weren't and they'd worked to fix it.

"I love you and our family more than anything, Stephanie. If you really, truly knew that there's no way you could think I'd do something that would damage it this way."

"Most cheaters don't expect to be caught."

"Well, I have no reason to coin that logic since the term doesn't describe me. I would never even do something that had the potential to wreck us."

Stephanie sighed and rubbed her temples. She felt a headache coming on. "I want to believe you, Hunter."

"Quit stopping yourself from believing me."

"This is insane, though! You want me to write everything off as coincidence. And just what, pin this action on some damn doppelganger? It sounds so illogical I can't wrap my head around it."

"Love isn't logical, either. It makes no sense to love someone more than you love yourself. To put them first, when you've gone your entire life looking out for number one. To ignore your selfish wants and do what makes the other person happy. It didn't make sense for you to fall for me – I put on a good show but the fact of the matter was that I was some poor kid with no origins. And I fell for you...someone who grew up in the town and in the similar lap of luxury of one of the cruelest sets of parents I had."

Stephanie remained quiet because what he was saying was absolutely true. On paper and to anyone else, their relationship would've been pegged as a future failure. But, in the face of those odds they had survived for nearly a decade and had a beautiful home and three wonderful children to show for it. And barring the Trish Stratus incident, it hadn't ever crossed her mind that her husband could or would cheat on her. But now that that floodgate had been opened, it suddenly made perfect sense and she felt stupid for not seeing it coming.

Before they got together he'd been an absolute man-whore and she'd dismissed it. Being on the road with the WWE – especially if you weren't taken – was like being a lion with a juicy steak set in front of you. That's how easy it was to find someone for the night if you were a superstar. You didn't have to do any work, the women just showed up and were ready and eager to please.

She'd grown up in the business and she understood that. She didn't hold it against him. But what she'd seen just days ago had made her have somewhat of a delayed reaction. Suddenly, his past mattered and her guard was up higher than it ever had been. The fear that she was exactly like her mother was overwhelming. It seemed that she might have followed in Linda's footsteps. That she'd ignored reason and good sense and picked the worst possible man to be her husband.

How improbable was it that everything had been a series of happenstances? That this set of events that left her with no doubt that her husband was unfaithful, wasn't what it appeared to be?

She wanted to defy logic. They'd done it before and they could do it again if she were so motivated. And she was. Her marriage and children's lives depended on the outcome of this ordeal. But what if the man she had seen really was him and he did it again? She couldn't just ignore that very real possibility. What if he was so good of a liar that he could tell her the sky was purple and she'd actually look up to check?

Stephanie was unable to meet his gaze immediately. So , she looked at the table instead. "A look-alike, huh? That's lame, Hunter."

When she heard the sound of his chair scraping against the pavement, she glanced up. Hunter stood and reached into his back pocket for his wallet. He threw a twenty dollar bill onto the table. It was more than enough to cover her drink and his as well as a generous tip. He shook his head at her in disappointment.

Because she knew him better than anyone, the flash of pain in his eyes was unmistakable. "What's lame is that you don't trust me."

"I do trust you. I did," she backtracked. "But I know what I saw," she stubbornly insisted.

"You don't know shit, Steph. You don't know how much I love you and want to be with you and the kids. You don't know that I'd rather take a bullet than cause pain for any of you. You don't know that I'd never cheat on you. And apparently you don't know that your vision must absolutely suck. Because I left home that morning and went straight to New York. You didn't see me at some coffee shop in Stamford all hugged up with some woman." He licked his lips for composure and leaned down, resting his balled fists against the table. He looked her in the eyes very seriously and she couldn't help but be mesmerized at the myriad of emotions and colors in them. "Let me ask you something...Are you prepared to end our marriage over what you think you saw?"

Her gaze didn't waver as she held their eye contact. It was like he was trapping her in his stare. "I don't know," she admitted.

"Stephanie, I love you. If you have any doubt about keeping up this ridiculous separation or about what you saw, then don't do this to us." He leaned forward and pressed a lingering kiss to her lips.

With her defenses already wavering due to his words and those amazing eyes of his, she made no move to break the kiss. But, when he pulled away she tried not to pout at the loss of contact. He pushed off of the table to stand fully. He didn't look at her again, he just turned around and made his way down the street.

Left alone with her thoughts, she was now more confused than ever. The one thing she could say about him was that when he was in the wrong, he attested to it. And if she allowed herself to think about it, it really didn't make any sense for him to put in all of this hard work in their marriage, just to risk it all on some bimbo.

_What did I really see, anyway? _She asked herself. A large blonde guy with curly hair and a cell phone. That was hardly evidence of anything. And just maybe those features had made her think of her husband. And allowing her worst, deepest fear to win, she had projected onto this random stranger.

Help. That's what she needed. Being in love had the tendency to blind people. She needed an outside opinion on what the hell was going on. God knows she couldn't quite figure it out for herself.


	10. Just Like You

Figured I'd go ahead and get this out before you guys start throwing stones at poor, confused Stephanie...and at me for writing her that way LOL. Don't be fooled though...more drama and problems to come as this story is only about half finished. That's all I'm saying! Hopefully there's no horrible typos. I had half of this written this morning...and wrote the rest while in between holiday events. Enjoy!

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><p>Linda sat down her cup of coffee and leaned back into the cushions of the couch. She was trying to figure out an appropriate response to the concerns and problems her daughter had raised. Quite frankly she was a little surprised it had taken Stephanie this long to accuse her husband of cheating. Lord knows she didn't have the best example of how a marriage should be, through watching her parents. Her own father had consistently lied and cheated and that had to have affected Stephanie. "Hunter isn't your father, Stephanie."<p>

Stephanie squared her jaw and nodded. She already knew that. If nothing else, Hunter was an excellent father who always tried to be there for their kids. Even if he'd been hesitant to discipline them, they always knew their Dad loved them and put them first. Come to think about it, even if he had been unfaithful, he still somehow managed to be a damn good husband, too.

Linda furrowed her brow. "If you know that he's not like Vince, then what are you afraid of?"

Instead of answering, Stephanie began to pick imaginary lint from her jeans. "That I love him so much that I'll tolerate any wrong he does to me." She raised her head and looked at her mother meaningfully. "And be in some strange situation that's consistently painful."

"I see," Linda said softly. So, her daughter was afraid of being like her. "Stephanie, I decided that this was better than the alternative of leaving. Your father wasn't and still isn't going to change. I could take that or leave it."

"But sometimes don't you feel like you made the wrong choice? Picked the wrong guy?"

"We married just two days after his 21st birthday. I was only 17. We'd dated all throughout high school and I loved him. But, I always knew that that's the kind of guy he was."

Stephanie's eyes practically popped out of her head. "What? He cheated on you before you even got married?"

"He did. But think of the times, Steph. Having a man even be interested in dating you was something to be proud of. Rejecting a proposal was downright unheard of. Besides, he was in fact my first love since we got together so young." Her mother shrugged. "So we married. He's not a cheater and horrible person _all _the time. It's sporadic and much easier to deal with then the repercussions of leaving him high and dry. After over forty years together, what would be the point?"

"Wow," was all Stephanie could come up with. So it wasn't just that Linda loved her father so much that she'd refused to see what kind of man he was. She'd known and she'd let societal pressures lead her into a marriage.

"At first, he'd written the affair off as accidental and something that would never happen again. And for a while it didn't. Then again, he didn't really have the free time to do those things. Not while we were struggling financially and he was working 90 hours a week to make ends meet. Once we turned the business into a success, your father felt more or less entitled. He wanted to flaunt his wealth."

"I remember that," Stephanie added. That was one of the reasons certain people had tried to befriend her in school. They wanted a little piece of the McMahon pie her father so often loved to give out to make up for his neglectful parenting.

Linda nodded. "One of the ways he did that was by surrounding himself with young, beautiful, scantily clad women. It was for show at first. But I knew that eventually something would happen...though I hoped it wouldn't." She leaned forward and took a leisurely sip of her drink. "The point is, Steph...you're not me. You're much stronger and smarter. I wasn't always Hunter's biggest fan because at first the two of you were downright awful."

Stephanie's cheeks flushed red with shame. That was quite an understatement. The two of them had reigned over the WWE with terror. They'd fired people simply because they didn't like them. Had people beat up for no apparent reason and had dominated all of the major titles just because they could. Neither of them was all that proud of it today. But at that time, it had been the right thing to do. Or so they told themselves. No one respected weakness in their business and they had been determined not to show any.

"But even then I could tell that he loved you. He got a bit consumed by wrestling and didn't quite know when to concentrate on you instead. But he was still devoted to you. The only mistress he would ever be willing to have was the ring. He was willing to give it up to save your marriage six years ago. And since the twins came along, he's out of it entirely. Let me tell you what I've learned. Someone can love you with all that they have, with all that they're capable of. And it still might not be what you need."

Stephanie furrowed her brow in confusion. "Huh?"

Linda decided to backtrack and word her thoughts in a way that made more sense. "If you could rate the feeling of love. Say some man could only give a 6 out of 10. But the woman needed 8. He loves her as much as he can but it's still not what she needs."

Stephanie shook her head. "In the last six years I've never felt like I needed more love from him."

Linda arched an eyebrow and smile knowingly at her daughter. "Then what are you doing here? Why aren't you out getting him back?"

Stephanie thought about that for all of five seconds. She pulled out her cell phone and scrolled to the thread she had going on with her husband.

_Can you meet me in half an hour? Same place._

She chewed her lip and bounced her leg anxiously. It was ridiculous that the very person she was destroying her marriage to not emulate, had actually talked some sense into her. Hunter was right; she had a very thick head. Now, she just felt like a total idiot for not giving her husband the benefit of the doubt. They'd been perfectly fine and happy until just a few days prior.

So she and her mother actually were alike. They both knew what they were getting themselves into. Linda had known she was going into a bad marriage and Stephanie had known she was going into a good one.

Even though she wouldn't want her mother's life, she did have a newfound respect for her. That she had made an active decision to marry and stay with Vince. And not that she was blindsided and totally unaware of what she would be taking on.

She saw Hunter's text pop up before her phone vibrated to notify her.

_I just had a workout. Have to shower._

Stephanie grinned at the response. Part of her worried that Hunter might not be up to speaking to her again today after the way their first meeting went. He sounded hesitant but not entirely unwilling to hear her out.

_That's okay; short notice. But please? _

She wasn't above begging. It was mainly her that had screwed things up this time. At this point, she would grovel if it helped. She had been totally and completely horrible to him. The way she'd taken that cheap shot at him about his father. The language she used, the names and adjectives she'd called him. Then the ultimate way she'd wronged him was in kicking him out. He didn't deserve any of it. She could see that now and felt silly that her stubbornness and temper had created this rift with him. She stared at the screen until his reply came through.

_I might not make it at that exact time._

_You can take your time getting there. Just let me know if you'll be more than fifteen minutes late._

"Please, Hunter," she whispered to the phone. She would find a way to make it up to him and put things right. He seemed to more or less understand where she was coming from. So she was hopeful that it wouldn't take several months. It was just that...hardly anyone ever get everything they ever wanted. Seeing what she did had shredded her nearly perfect world to pieces. And it made sense that he'd cheat. Because history had shown her that that's what men in good relationships often did. Of course she couldn't have it all. Not when she'd learned by example that you simply had to decide what you were willing to give up.

Now she realized that she was one of the lucky ones. She had a good guy. She hadn't chosen wrong. Yes, there were some things that had to be worked on before they had an amazing marriage. But what relationship didn't have its struggles to overcome? Her phone vibrated and she glanced down.

_See you there. _

Stephanie shifted back to the home screen of the phone. Her smile was contagious and giddy. Linda volunteered to watch the kids overnight. Hunter and Stephanie needed some alone time to talk things out and get back to normal. Emergencies like these were exactly why she kept a stash of clothes in each of her grandchildren's sizes.


	11. Faint Trouble

Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter. I wanted to get this one out...because it sets up the rest of the story and I am extremely excited for it! Enjoy!

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><p>Hunter stood in the shower letting the hot water beat down on his aching muscles. He'd really been overdoing it in the gym lately. But, he couldn't help himself. He was separated from his family for something he didn't do and it was killing him. The gym downstairs in the hotel was the only thing that kept him sane. It allowed him to blow off steam.<p>

And even though his meeting with Stephanie had technically ended in a kiss, nothing really got solved. She still didn't believe him, despite his protests to the contrary. He just hoped that at the very least he'd been able to cast some doubt into her mind over what she'd seen.

His wife was like a pit bull when she got an idea in that head of hers. She locked on and absolutely refused to let go until you pried her off of it. Hopefully that would happen soon. The chances of her changing her mind on her own were probably nil. Him or someone else close to her would have to convince her.

Maybe that had happened already and that's why she wanted to meet. Then again, perhaps she would ask for a divorce instead. He wasn't going to allow himself to think about it too hard or he'd go crazy from anticipation. But she didn't sound pissed off in her texts she sounded somewhat remorseful.

Still. He wasn't going to get his hopes up too high. Seeing her today had been too much. Despite the fact that nothing had changed except they'd talked out what actually happened – he hadn't been able to resist touching her in some way. It was so foreign to have to wonder if it would have been welcomed. He was pleased that she hadn't pulled away from his kiss and that she'd looked contemplative when he left. If she really got to thinking using something other than her temper and got someone else to think with her, she would soon know the truth about him.

He stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, he realized that he would actually make it on time. He smiled at his habit of overshooting how long it would take him to get someplace. She would be happy that he was early.

Twenty minutes later, Stephanie spotted her husband seated on the patio of the Mexican restaurant. He appeared to be in deep thought with his arms folded across his chest and feet crossed at the ankles. She took a deep breath for strength and confidence before making her way over to him. Not wanting his chivalry at the moment, she pulled out the empty chair across from him and sat down. "Hi," she greeted brightly.

He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. His hazel eyes twinkled at her, thoroughly amused. "Hey good looking." Shamelessly, his eyes traveled over her body. For some reason it actually made her feel a little bit self-conscious. Maybe that was because she was just now getting over the absurd notion that he'd had someone else stand in as a substitute to give him affection.

She cleared her throat to get his attention. His eyes were currently fastened to her chest. "I need to talk to you."

He sighed and straightened his posture. "Those six words always suck," he complained dismissively.

Stephanie's mouth parted in shock. What the hell was wrong with him? Did he not care about trying to save their marriage anymore? Had something changed since their first meet today? She sat in stunned silence while he summoned the waiter over. All that was on the table was water. And there was no evidence that anything else had been here before she arrived. So he was just tipping for that service apparently. Words still evaded her when he stood up from the table.

When he actually walked to the gate and moved to open it, she snapped back to reality. She caught up to him as soon as his feet hit the sidewalk, reaching out to grab his arm.

His massive frame turned around and he looked down at her. "You again," he smirked arrogantly.

_You again? I've shared my life with him for nearly a decade and that's all he has to say ? _"Yes it's me again," she hissed out.

"Look honey," he started in that sexy voice of his. "When you plopped down at my table looking all hot I thought you were coming on to me. But you're not. You want to talk...and you seem quite pissed off right now. Quite frankly, I don't need the drama. I got enough shit going on in my life."

He turned and tried to shake off her grasp, but she didn't let go. "A lot of shit, huh? You mean like a wife and three small children?"

"Look-" he began.

"Stephanie?" Her husband's voice said behind her.

"Not now, Hunter I'm trying to talk sense into you." The words were out of her mouth before she realized what she said. Her brow furrowed in total confusion.

Slowly, she turned and saw her husband standing behind her looking every bit as confused as she did. Her mouth opened and she tried to speak, but nothing was happening. She released the other man's arm and took a startled step away from both of them. Quickly she looked from left to right. And back again. Her husband and this stranger looked almost exactly the same. And after many years of going to sleep and waking up next to this man, she knew every curve of his face and body.

It made no sense. Since she'd briefly spoken to the stranger and now had her actual husband in front of her, she could tell which was which. There was a certain dangerous, careless edge that the stranger had to him. After all, he thought she'd been about to proposition him for a good time. And despite his obvious attraction to her, the minute she mentioned talking he had hit the road.

Besides, there was a certain unspoken affection in Hunter's eyes. A softness that was there only for her and the kids. Lust and annoyance was all she could find in the stranger's gaze. There was no love. There wasn't much of anything, really.

Despite the fact that her mind had processed these things fairly quickly, she couldn't come up with a damn thing to say to either of them.

With his arm now free from her grasp, the stranger was simply staring at her weirdly. Probably wondering why she stood frozen, mouth agape and glancing back and forth. He turned around and came face to face with a mirror image of himself.

Stephanie watched as Hunter and the man eyed each other. Once the shock had wore off, they appeared to become curious instead.

They moved in similar ways. Their faces looked the same. They were the same height and had very similar builds. The stranger wore his hair a few inches longer than Hunter's. But it was the same color and loosely curly pattern. Hunter's was damp and in a ponytail, while the stranger's was dry and hanging down loosely. If they had the same hairstyle, only she would be able to tell them apart. And she couldn't make sense of that.

The sight of the two of them overwhelmed her. Her brain had essentially shut down, refusing to let her move or speak. The only thing it would allow her to do...

Was faint right in the middle of the sidewalk.

Hunter moved to catch her, and she fell into his arms, totally unconscious. He looked up at the stranger and said. "I think you've been causing some problems for us."

He smirked. "Trouble should be my middle name."


	12. Bio

My apologies if there was any confusion - Hunter didn't recognize the guy from his past or anything. He was just stating what he found to be obvious, since Stephanie had been so convinced she'd seen him with the blonde. As for the other speculations from previous chapters...they're mostly addressed in this chapter. There's a bit of a cliffhanger (partly b/c I didn't want a whole mess of stuff to be going on and partly b/c I need to be leaving for someplace...like ten minutes ago haha)

As for updates to other stories...working on them. It's very difficult for me to sit down and purposely try to make myself write a chapter. With other fics, I'm able to update quicker b/c ideas just keep constantly popping in my head (such as with this, Boomerang, Rewind and Duality). I plan to work on Entwined next just so it's over LOL, then WAN and Duality. I appreciate the reminders, they are motivation for me to get to working on them. Usually once I begin a chapter, the rest kind of flows out. Enjoy!

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><p>Hunter half-carried Stephanie over to the table he had no idea she just vacated. He sat down with her still in his arms and brushed wayward strands of hair from her face. "Steph?" He asked, giving her a small shake.<p>

Stephanie's eyelids fluttered open and she squinted at the sunlight beaming directly on her face. "Hi," she smiled lazily.

Hunter smiled back at her and decided to get right to the point. Though he was concerned that she'd temporarily lost consciousness, he was pretty confident that he knew exactly why. "When's the last time you had a drink of water?"

Her brow furrowed as she tried to concentrate. "Um..."

"If you have to think that hard, it's been too long. When's the last time you ate?" He pressed.

"Well, I've been eating dessert with the kids," she pondered out loud while rubbing at her chin. "And today we were supposed to have lunch but that didn't happen..." she trailed off, hoping that her explanation satisfied him. This wasn't the first time something like this had happened. If memory served her right it was the third. The prior two times, Hunter had made her go to the emergency room. And each time that happened, it was revealed that she was dehydrated.

"Oh my God," he muttered with a shake of his head. "Stephanie, you have to take better care of yourself."

"Well I was stressed out and an emotional wreck!" Was her defensive response. The fact that she'd practically put herself in that mental and emotional state all on her own was a detail she didn't have to confirm.

He shook his head again. He already knew that was going to be her reasoning for forgetting to eat. But, in his opinion it was a poor excuse. If for no other reason, she should take care of herself so she would be conscious for the kids.

"Hey, is she all right?"

Stephanie glanced over to her right to see an almost exact copy of her husband hovering nearby. She threw an arm over her forehead and muttered unintelligibly.

Hunter decided to answer the question she was probably asking herself. "No, you didn't imagine him. He exists."

"Why does he look so much like you?" Was all she could manage to ask.

For the next half an hour they all got to know one another. The stranger's name was Howard Hendrik Helmsley. He was born on the night of July 27, 1973 in The New York Hospital of Queens. That was all he knew. Because his parents had given him up at birth and he hadn't cared to try to find them. If they had used their real names, they were likely on his original birth certificate. Or there would at least be a record of them somewhere. But quite frankly he didn't give a damn. He'd paved his own way in the world, despite being abandoned by them. So why go looking for the people that had nothing to do with his success in life? By the age of 27 he owned a chain of 3 gyms that were scattered across New York.

Howard's adoptive parents were conservative and very religious. They had high expectations for Howard to go into medicine or law. Having other ideas about how his life should be ran, he moved as soon as he graduated high school.

This explained a small bit of Hunter's upbringing. When a child was found, states kept their searches local. Or at the very least, they had back then. So it made sense that Connecticut hadn't found his or his parents' information. They had been too damn cheap and lazy to look just across state lines.

It also explained why neither of them was ever aware that they had apparently had an identical twin brother. Howard had purposely not looked for any information on his birth parents and didn't really seem to give a shit about doing so now. If he never bothered to look into the hospital records or check with the adoption agency that had placed him with the Danley family, it made sense that he'd never been informed about his brother.

At least, they assumed they were twins. What else could explain why they had the same birthday and physical features? If that wasn't enough, it was too coincidental that they grew up in bordering states.

And that was pretty much where the similarities ended. Howard wasn't seeing anybody seriously. The girl that Stephanie had seen him with was either named Candy or Sandy. His brother couldn't remember because that's how many women he ran around with. In just a few minutes, he'd be leaving them to go meet up with Jenna. As far as womanizing went, he was probably ten times worse than Hunter used to be.

The ring rats always knew what they were and weren't under any delusion that they meant something to him. Howard actually took the women on one or two dates, bedded them and them dismissed them just as quickly. Today he was taking the woman of the night out for sushi.

Howard tilted his head back and allowed the cool liquid of the Corona beer to slide down his throat. "Three kids?" He asked incredulously and laughed. "Shit, man! Talk about tied down. You can give up any idea of picking up a chick, when you've got that kind of baggage. Me on the other hand? I'm traveling light!"

Amused, Hunter shook his head and held up his left hand. He wiggled his ring finger and pointed at Stephanie who was munching away on a plate of chicken tacos and only vaguely paying attention. "That's the only chick I'm interested in picking up."

Howard nodded. "I hear you." He tilted his head from left to right in consideration. "Can't say I blame you, she is pretty hot. I'm guessing you knocked her up so _she _wouldn't go anywhere."

Stephanie snorted out a laugh, but continued to eat her food. She figured the most important things were her nourishment and for Hunter and Howard to bond. Her tacos were keeping her plenty occupied, as was the brothers' conversation.

Hunter balled up a napkin and threw it at his twin. "Whatever," he dismissed. "Your stunt with Chiclets, Skittles or whomever cost me three days away from my family."

"How so?"

"Stephanie was on her lunch and was heading to Mill River Park. She was pissed at me ever since then because she thought you were me."

Howard laughed and held his hand up in his defense. "Sorry. If I'd known I had a twin – a fucking _married _twin I would have been on my best public behavior. Or you know wore a sign saying 'I'm not Hunter' or something."

Hunter clucked his tongue and smirked. "Your best behavior is probably still fairly awful."

Another swig of beer made its way into Howard's throat. He nodded. "Fair enough," he admitted shamelessly. He glanced down at his watch and winced at the time. He threw down a twenty to pay for his new sister in law's meal and his drink. "I've got to run or I'm gonna be late meeting Gina."

"Jenna," Stephanie corrected with an amused glint in her eyes.

"Yeah her. Not like I'll need to remember her name after tonight, though," he winked at them both before scribbling his name and number onto a napkin and making a brisk exit from the patio.

Once they were alone, Hunter leaned his forearms onto the table. "So what did you want to talk about? I'm sure _that,_" he jerked his head in the direction Howard had gone, "wasn't it."

Stephanie nodded in agreement. The fact that there was a new, unexpected member of their family would certainly change the face of it forever. But, not as much as if she didn't right the wrong she'd been doing to her husband.


	13. Wifely

LMAO. Girls, the dude in chapter 1 really isn't creepy. All he does is get out of the car and take his bags into the hotel. That's Howard, actually...and it vaguely references the phenomenon between separated identical twins. Like how they feel an unexplainable pull towards where their sibling is. With Howard's personality I wanted to make him kinda the opposite of Hunter in a lot of ways (i.e. being way more of a womanizer, caring very little about family values, never thinking things through, etc). The title comes from Howard's tendency to live on the edge/the border...and also the line that separates the brothers lives and personalities (it'll start to become blurred soon, which is where more marital drama comes from)

I actually had this done yesterday but wanted to get Entwined (which is now finished) up first. At first I was going to add more to this chapter. But I decided against it because the current ending is so darn cute. I'll try to get something out on WAN next. Enjoy!

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><p>Hunter had been uncharacteristically unobservant due to the shock of finding out he had a twin brother. Now that he was alone with Stephanie he was solely focused on her. He could see the faint shadows under her eyes. Until very recently, they hadn't spent a night apart for over four years. It appeared like she still had trouble sleeping without him. Quite frankly, the situation had taken a toll on him as well, but it looked like he'd been managing more rest than her.<p>

It was no wonder her body had shut down on her. She'd been depriving it of food, water and sleep.

Stephanie placed both hands on his forearms and squeezed affectionately. "I'm just going to come right out and say it. I'm sorry for not believing you. And for the things I've said and done over the last few days."

Hunter nodded his head in acknowledgement. "I appreciate that. Honestly, I'm not even upset about it. I was under the impression that you just saw some giant blonde haired guy and jumped to conclusions. But, you saw someone with my exact face." He shrugged casually. "I understand."

"I can tell the two of you apart now. If I had kept calm maybe I would have been able to figure out that it wasn't you."

"Stop beating yourself up," he commanded. "Neither of us had any idea about Howard. And the situation was stressful. The most probable thing was for it to have been me."

Despite the fact that Hunter was right, she still felt bad. If she hadn't so stubbornly clung to the idea that she'd seen her husband cheating, they wouldn't be separated right now. She was positive that it wouldn't last much longer, but that wasn't the point. This whole ordeal made an issue of hers come to light. In high school she distrusted people mostly because she felt that a lot of them simply wanted to use her for her connections. She was able to overcome that phobia in college, since she used her mother's maiden name. But, while she was in her sophomore year, the news of Vince's second affair came through. The first had happened during high school, but her father had appeared to rehabilitate from his cheating ways.

When Linda suspected him of it this time, she'd confided in her children for whatever reason. Shane and Marissa had driven from New York to Boston and picked Stephanie up. The three of them then drove to the corporate office to confront Vince. He'd denied the allegations. Really, he'd just plain lied through his teeth. But, at the time the siblings didn't know that. So, they'd next headed to Greenwich to defend and vouch for their father's innocence. Linda appeared to take their word for it. Unbeknownst to them she'd just hired outside help. Once her private investigator had sufficient evidence that Vince was habitually cheating, Linda wasted no time informing her kids.

Looking back, Stephanie sort of wished her mother hadn't done that. The marital problems were between the two of them and at no point did her Mom entertain the idea of leaving her Dad. So what was the point in telling her kids about it? All it did was make them lose trust in their father's ability to be faithful and truthful. Then again, he was always known for his antagonistic relationship with the truth when it suited his interests anyway.

She'd had short, sporadic relationships while finishing up her studies. The college environment was fraught with loose and scantily clad women and overly horny guys. To top it off, there was never a shortage of parties and alcohol to amplify the behaviors of each. She always broke it off with a guy before he could have the chance to betray her trust. She would take the smallest infraction and blow it out of proportion to justify her actions.

It was fate that had made Hunter come into her life the way he did. They weren't technically supposed to fall in love. They'd worked on their plans for ruling the WWE for months before they actually implemented it. By the time she realized it had become much more than business, she was powerless to stop herself. Her efforts had resulted in falling that much faster. There was so much going on at the time that she hadn't had the opportunity to get scared and push him away. Or maybe she just loved him too much to do that. She hadn't quite figured out which one it was.

The whole Trish Stratus thing had thrown her for a loop and made her issues come back. But, Hunter explained himself and there was video footage to prove that he was telling the truth. It was hard, but she'd eventually learned to let it go and just trust him fully again. It didn't hurt that he purposely avoided most female company except for hers.

Her claim that she'd seen Hunter breaking their marriage vows in plain sight was somewhat legitimate given that she'd seen a direct copy of him embracing some woman. But, it was the thoughts that had crept up afterwards that had done the most damage. If she didn't get them out in the open, it would only do more harm than good.

"We've talked about a lot of things, Hunter. Including my father and his adulterous ways. But we didn't talk about past relationships very much."

Hunter's eyebrows drew together in confusion. They'd been married almost a decade and he hardly saw the relevance of past relationships at this point. "I didn't have any. Well, not serious ones anyway. What's that got to do with anything?"

"In college, none of my relationships lasted longer than a couple of months. Because of all that crap with my Mom and Dad, I was convinced whomever the guy was would cheat on me. I would wait until he messed up in some small way and use that to get rid of him," she stopped and chewed her lip. Inwardly, she hoped that she didn't sound like a total nut job. Purposely blowing your relationships up rather than confiding in someone about your deepest, darkest fear probably didn't win her any maturity points. "Kind of like a preemptive strike I guess."

"Steph, that's not what you did here. You saw someone that literally looks just like me, playing grab-ass with some woman."

"At first, yeah. But even after you denied it and explained and everything I still refused to let it go. I know you like the back of my hand, Hunter. I know when you're telling the absolute truth." She stopped and squinted her eyes in brief concentration. "I think that those hours between me seeing Howard and you explicitly telling me you didn't do anything were critical. I psyched myself out. I was inside my own head too much and I let all those problems come rushing right back. So much so that even though the truth of your innocence was as plain as day, I refused to hear it. I just kept telling myself I didn't want to end up like my mother. It might also be because I felt too much pain at what I saw. And then after convincing myself that you could and would do that to me, I had to stand my ground and just...I don't know," she admitted with a sigh.

"Blow our marriage up to keep yourself from ever feeling that way again?" He offered.

Stephanie nodded and wiped at the lone tear that escaped her eye. "I just," she trailed off and shook her head. She was starting to become overwhelmed by her own feelings. "I love you so much, Hunter. And the thought that you might not love me the same way I love you kills me. I'm sorry I shut down on you, said that horrible comment about your father and asked you to leave. I was stubborn and stupid and selfish and-"

"Human," he interrupted. "Steph, we've been here before. I pushed you away all those years ago because I felt like I needed you too much. And then with my origins I felt that you'd think I wasn't good enough for you so I kept it to myself. I was wrong on both accounts. You're allowed to be wrong from time to time, too. But you have to understand something that's a common misconception."

"What?"

"Cheating on someone...when you're sober and not drugged isn't a mistake, it's a series of decisions. A hell of a lot of shit happens between meeting the person you'll cheat with and actually performing the act. And at any time you can decide differently – decide to be faithful. If you knew just how much you stay on my mind, you'd know that there's no way in hell that I would decide to be unfaithful to you. There isn't even any extra room in here," he tapped his temple, "to contemplate that."

Stephanie grinned. "I feel exactly the same way. My head is like 'The Hunter Show' or something. It's got to be a disorder of some kind."

Hunter rubbed at his thin beard. "Since we've both got it, it shouldn't cause problems."

He was silent for a moment before he spoke again. "If I'm being totally honest, after taking care of three lively kids, I'm wiped. I have enough energy left for you and that's it."

A mischievous glint appeared in her eyes. "And I'm ever so grateful that you do. While we're on the topic, we need to be more discreet. My Mom said we're not fooling her when we volunteer to get food and supplies at family gatherings."

He smirked at her. "Well, maybe if you didn't yell 'no' when she offered to help us last time, she wouldn't doubt us."

"Whatever. You were rubbing my thigh under the table and got me all hot and bothered."

Hunter shrugged casually. He liked touching Stephanie in some way whenever she was in his proximity. Sue him.

"So," she drew out the word innocently. "Can I be your wife again? The kids are at my parents' for the night. We could make good use of your hotel. Or we can get a different one, it's up to you. But I promise a massage and lots of make-up sex if you comply."

He clasped his hands under his chin and pretended to be in deep thought. When Stephanie actually started pouting and batting her eyelashes, he gave in. "Well since you put it that way, get your sexy self over here and start acting wifely."

Stephanie scooted over in her chair so that there was very little space left between her and Hunter. She grabbed the sides of his face and met him halfway for a kiss.

Nearly a minute went by when they heard faint footsteps and their server's soft feminine voice ask, "You guys ready for the check?"

Hunter removed one hand from around Stephanie's waist and pointed in the general direction of the money on the table. The girl laughed out loud and shook her head before grabbing the money from the table and leaving the couple in peace.


	14. Memories

Hey all! Thanks so much for the reviews on the last chapter, I'm glad you all enjoyed it. To answer your question Jess (who, by the way seriously needs to get an account...or so a little birdie told me hahaha)...Hunter will get a teeny bit...let's say influenced by Howard. Nothing too bad, but enough for Stephanie to take notice and not like it. I can give you all a bit of a spoiler and say that it's going to cause a disagreement or two and when Howard goes a bit far during one of their brotherly outings, there's gonna be a fight that'll lead to him wanting revenge. In comes more drama! LOL. I've also got another direction the overall story is going, which will ultimately lead me to making this series a trilogy it looks like. So if a few things seem unresolved by the time BL is done, it'll be addressed in the third installment!

Triplehlover0212 welcome to this "crazy tale" (stole that from heidyurbano89) and thanks for the review! Always cool to see new names crop up from time to time! Shannon, my PM's were disabled for a few days, but are back up now. 666Lucifer'sLover, glad you got a laugh out of that line! The mature rating lets me throw in some more steamy stuff...which I totally did in this chapter. There's some humor, some fluff and a lot of sexy. And just as an FYI this is totally not meant to be some PSA on contraception, just meant to make you laugh when Steph starts saying ridiculous things. You'll see what I mean...ENJOY and let me know what ya think!

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><p>After leaving the restaurant, Hunter and Stephanie drove to their home in Greenwich. Since they'd arrived at the restaurant separately, they had to leave separately as well. Hunter technically already had clothes at his hotel, but it couldn't hurt to have some variety. He had no idea what Stephanie had planned for them the following day.<p>

They'd stayed in the same hotel, but upgraded their room to one that had a whirlpool bathtub. The weather forecast was pretty good, so they decided to bring along something to swim in as well.

Hunter hadn't truly been home in three days. Truth be told he would have been perfectly fine with spending the evening there. Their house had all the amenities of the hotel except for room service and someone to change their sheets and give them fresh towels. It also had more privacy, to boot.

Still, he was grateful that Stephanie wanted to do something somewhat special for him. Breaking routine was good from time to time. That's probably what allowed them to be so passionate about each other after all of these years together. Not to mention the fact that they truly enjoyed each other's company.

Wanting to completely spoil her husband for the next day, Stephanie had insisted on driving to the hotel. So they'd taken her Acura SUV. At a few red lights, she had taken advantage of being stopped. She'd lean over and say "kiss," so that Hunter would turn his head. After having that happen a few times, he just automatically leaned over to her when the car wasn't moving, because he knew what she was about to do. He couldn't deny that he loved that the gesture resembled that of a giddy schoolgirl with her first boyfriend. It was cute. And he was pleased to know that she was happy that their marriage was back on track.

Stephanie sucked her teeth. "Ah, shit."

Hunter furrowed his brow and turned to look at her. "What? You forget something?"

"Yeah. Stupid birth control pills. I haven't taken one in days."

Hunter tilted his head from left to right in consideration. Now seemed like as good a time as any to broach the subject. "You could just stay off of them," he commented sweetly and innocently.

Stephanie smirked. She already knew where this conversation was headed. "Another child would be perfect, baby. But, I don't want two or more. That's too many versions of you and I running around."

"Seriously, Steph. What are the odds of that happening?"

Stephanie looked at him incredulously. "Considering the fact that my second pregnancy was with identical twins and that the rate goes up with age I'd say those are very good odds."

"But-"

"Oh, oh, oh!" She exclaimed with a laugh. "And let's not forget that just today we found out that _you're _an identical twin!"

Hunter sighed. He wasn't upset. He wasn't even disappointed. But, both he and Stephanie wanted another child. There had to be a way to make her okay with taking the chance of ending up with more than one baby. Really, he didn't think that was going to happen. If it did, it wasn't the end of the world. They'd love the babies regardless and it wasn't like they couldn't afford it. "I honestly don't think we're going to end up with a total of 5 or more kids, Stephanie."

"Can you guarantee that?"

"Sure," he confirmed. His voice was serious but she knew he was only kidding around. "I'll talk to my body and yours. I'll tell all parts involved to cooperate with us on this. Or else," he warned.

Stephanie burst into laughter and shook her head. She knew that if she challenged him to, he would actually go ahead and have that talk. She licked her lips while she considered.

At the next red light, she pecked him on the lips instead of going for a longer, more passionate kiss. She arched an eyebrow and said, "I'll make you a deal."

Hunter nodded.

"We can try for baby number four. But if we end up with two or more I'm going back on the pill, getting my tubes tied, having them put an IUD in-"

Hunter wrinkled his nose. "What? You can't be on two hormonal methods at the same time," he pointed out. "And what the hell would be the point if you got your tubes tied?"

Stephanie blinked at him in response, to signal that she wasn't finished yet. Hunter rolled his eyes and waited for her to continue. The light turned green and she accelerated through the intersection. "Continuing," she said brightly. "You'd get a vasectomy, otherwise no sex ever again. _And_," she emphasized. "Even with that, when we do have sex we're using condoms and spermicide."

Hunter stared at her dully. "You can't be serious."

She took her eyes off the road for a second, to glance over at him. "As a heart attack."

"You do realize that no doctor is going to allow you to do all of those things to yourself, right?"

"I'll use various doctors. And lie to each one about my birth control method," she countered smoothly.

Hunter twisted his lips while he thought of another argument. "Assuming I actually let you talk me into a vasectomy-"

"It's part of the deal," she corrected. "You don't agree to my terms and no pregnancy."

"This is extortion," he chimed in a singsong voice.

"It's bartering."

"Whatever. All right so even with the vasectomy, birth control pills and device and getting your tubes tied," he ticked each one off on his fingers, "you'd still make us use a barrier?"

"Yep."

"Why?"

"Taking all possible precautions," she nodded at her rationale.

"Fine," he agreed without hesitation.

Stephanie was so flabbergasted by his reply that she didn't notice the light turn yellow. Snapping back into reality, she slammed on the brakes just as it turned red. The car threw them both forward the slightest bit. She turned to her husband, staring wide eyed. "What?" She asked. Maybe she hadn't heard him right.

"Fine," he repeated. "We both want another baby. And your terms are fair because they involve both of us trying to prevent a fourth pregnancy. And they'll only come to pass if we end up with more than one kid. Which I don't think we will. Even still...fine." He shrugged.

"Damn it," she muttered under her breath before turning her attention back to the road.

Hunter eyed her. "What's wrong?"

Stephanie's facial expression was dejected. "I was bluffing."

Hunter laughed so hard his stomach started to ache. That's exactly what she got for trying to somewhat scare him into not wanting to try for another baby. He did have an inkling that she wasn't all that serious about her terms. The fact that it would be too risky to pump her body with all those hormones kind of gave her away. Then there was the fact that they didn't regularly use a barrier and never had any intentions on doing so. It was frequent, but usually random when they had sex. If there were actually some condoms around and nobody was too impatient, they'd actually use them. More often than not, they either had none or were just too caught up in each other to care. They were married and faithful, but still made it a point to get screened every few months. That had just been their habit before they met and it seemed pointless to break it.

"All right," she piped up. "I'll make you a deal," she began.

Hunter raised his eyebrows and looked thoroughly entertained.

"Seriously this time," she insisted. "I'll stop the pills. But I don't want to be one of those couples that starts timing the cycle and follows some strange, unromantic fertility plan. I don't want some timer to go off and then we jump each other for the sake of trying for a baby. I want our love life to stay as is. And if I get pregnant, I get pregnant."

Hunter tried and failed to hide his smirk. "Baby," he began cautiously. "You do realize I'll probably knock you up within weeks, right?"

Stephanie sighed as she thought about how quickly Karmina and Kaycee were conceived, once they decided Jackson could have a sibling. Next, she thought about how often they still made love. Hell, she promised to do that a few times over tonight and she'd already been lax in taking the pills. He was more than right. She'd actually be lucky if he didn't get her pregnant within a few days. She nodded, finally disregarding the fear that more than one baby would come to exist. What was meant to be, would be. "Yep. I'm sure you will." Despite her initial reluctance, she smiled gently and reached over to squeeze his hand as she pulled up to the valet area of their hotel.

Upon reaching their room, they decided to check out the supposedly awesome bathtub. They'd also switched things up a little bit. Normally Stephanie's back would be pressed into Hunter's chest while they soaked and relaxed. Tonight, their positions were reversed so that Stephanie could massage his upper back, neck and shoulders.

Stephanie pressed her index and middle finger of each hand firmly against a particular spot on either side of his neck. She held the pressure steady until she felt the tension release and began to rub again. "You've been overdoing your workouts," she commented observantly.

Hunter didn't want to make her feel bad about what happened. Not when they were trying to move forward. Having her beat herself up over mistaking Howard for him wouldn't help anything. But, he didn't want to lie to her either. They made it a point to always be honest and he had no intention of breaking that habit. And she'd see right through him anyway. He lifted his shoulders in a slight shrug. "Had a lot on my mind," was his truthful reply.

"I know," she affirmed softly. Behind him, Stephanie continued to knead his muscles. She didn't stop the pace, even as she leaned forward to press a kiss to the back of his neck. He knew that it was an unspoken repeat apology for what had transpired between them.

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><p>Stephanie and Hunter had been lying in bed trying to summon energy for the last couple of minutes. Hunter was lying on his back with an arm thrown over his forehead. Stephanie was lying somewhat on her side tucked into his other huge arm. Finally, she pressed a hand to his chest and used it as leverage to sit up in bed. Inspired by the fact that his wife managed to find the will to move, Hunter lazily rolled out of bed and reluctantly got to his feet. He stretched his arms above his head and kicked his legs out in front of him, trying to regain some feeling.<p>

Unbeknownst to him, Stephanie was letting her eyes travel his body shamelessly. He was giving her a wonderful view. She tilted her head as she started her appraisal from his legs, up to his ass and back. She gasped when her eyes landed on his upper back. There were scratches that didn't quite resemble claw marks, but it was clear that they'd been caused by her fingers gripping his back too tightly. A flashback to the evening's events reminded her that occasionally she just couldn't take the feelings he was producing in her and actually did rake her nails down his skin a little bit.

Hunter turned around and she still hadn't wiped the surprised yet concerned look from her face. "What?" He asked, staring at her curiously.

Stephanie bit down on her lip. "Don't be mad at me," she requested shyly.

His eyes narrowed at her playfully. "What did you do?"

Stephanie grabbed his hand in hers and allowed him to pull her to her feet. She led him into the bathroom and it wasn't lost upon her that he was staring at her from behind the entire time. Once they reached the large mirror, she stepped away and positioned him so that he could look over his shoulder to see. She pointed at the incriminating evidence and cringed while she waited for him to lightly scold her.

Hunter laughed out loud and nodded his head proudly. "Well damn, Steph. Maybe I should make you wear gloves next time."

"You're not mad?"

"Of course not. Why would I be? I think of the marks as medals of honor. They let me know I did something good."

Stephanie grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning up against his chest. She had just assumed that since they were heading to the pool tomorrow he might be a little upset that she'd marred him up. It would practically tell everyone what they'd got up to the previous night. When they were just going to be at home, she knew he didn't care. "Oh yeah," she confirmed. "You did something downright amazing."

Hunter leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. He brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. His eyes twinkled at her with his amusement. "Besides," he began casually, "I marked you up, too. You've got various love bites...among other things."

Stephanie's eyes widened and she unwrapped herself from her husband and moved to the side. Sure enough, there were a total of four hickey's around her neck area. Two of them were planted along the left side of her throat almost directly on the weak spot Hunter loved to go after. Another hickey was placed at the base of her throat and the final one was on the right side of her throat. A quick scan of the rest of her body revealed fingertip-like indentations near her hips. She shook her head at her husband who was snickering at her expression in the mirror.

She turned to face him. "Have you no self-control?" She asked in a manner that was clearly joking.

Hunter scoffed at her. "Baby please. I have lots. In the tub I was good. And during that full body massage you gave me I was great despite the fact you were wearing some sexy, peek-a-boo black and red lace number I've never seen you in."

Stephanie opened her mouth to interrupt his rant, but quickly shut it when he continued.

"And to top it off you often replaced your hands with your lips and tongue. I have the patience of a saint, thank you very much." He smirked at her and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back against the bathroom counter.

Stephanie laughed at him loudly. "Nice try, babe. But if you remember correctly, I didn't even get to finish your massage because of your roaming hands."

Hunter drew his bottom lip in to try to stifle his grin. "I think wandering fingers would be more accurate, actually."

She placed her hands against his chest and pushed lightly. "Shut up!"

Hunter grabbed one of her hands and intertwined their fingers. He smiled at her hugely. "See? We just finished up a sex marathon and you're already getting touchy feely. I like touching you whenever you're around. It's to be expected. So it's not my fault that your resolve to finish the massage and continue practically teasing me, crumbled as soon as I started-"

Stephanie's cheeks flushed red and she quickly moved her other hand from his chest to cover his mouth. She nodded at him. "I remember what those fingers and hands of yours started doing, thanks."

Against her hand he smiled, before pressing a kiss to the inside of her palm. He gave her his best innocent expression until she took her hand down. "Damn," he sighed. "If you had forgotten, I was going to be nice and remind you."

_Damn, _Stephanie thought. Already, she could feel herself begin to tingle with anticipation. It was remarkable that no matter how tired either of them were or how often they made love, they were always ready for more. Neither of them had very much restraint when it came to each other. Not that she was complaining. In fact, she very much loved it. The last thing she wanted was for them to become one of those passionless, sexless married couples. Many marriages did end up that way. And if that worked for them, then great. But she considered it a blessing that after many years, shared experiences and three children, they were still ridiculously attracted to each other in every possible way. Besides, they had been separated for a few nights anyway.

A pretend confused expression crossed her features as she stepped a few paces away from him. She leaned against the counter and beckoned Hunter over by crooking her index finger. "Well what do you know?" She questioned as he moved to stand in front of her. She wrapped one arm around his neck and the other around his waist. "I seem to have forgotten," she whispered before brushing her lips over his faintly. She hissed directly into his mouth when he reached between them and rubbed at her clit absently.

"Remembering anything?" He questioned, watching her face intently. When she simply leaned into his touch, but didn't respond he decided to insert two fingers without warning.

A low moan was her reply until she cleared her throat a few seconds later. "I don't know," she answered slowly. "Still fuzzy." Her head lolled forward and rested on Hunter's shoulder.

He picked up the pace with his fingers and his lips went to work on her hickey-covered neck. "Anything else coming back to you?"

"Oh yeah," she sighed blissfully. "It's _coming_ all right."

Inside, he was laughing but on the outside he managed to suppress his grin. It looked like she might mark up the middle of his back during this particular encounter. The fact that she'd already scratched him up earlier was making him slightly more cognizant of what her hands were doing this time. Feeling her muscles beginning to squeeze his fingers, he removed them. Stephanie's head lifted and her stare was lustful and mildly irritated. Before she could protest the fact that he'd interrupted her pleasure, he hoisted her up and onto the counter.

Instinctively, her legs wrapped around his waist and all she could do was moan loudly when his hardness entered her a moment later.

Hunter pressed his forehead against hers as she rode out the lax waves of the orgasm the contact gave her. He leaned down and met her lips in a long, loving kiss.

Stephanie brought her hands to the sides of his face and pulled him as close as was humanly possible. She was dangerously close to crying. She just couldn't believe she had ever doubted how he felt about her. The fact that her previously latent fears and insecurities had nearly made it so that moments like this would never happen again, was surreal. Gently, she broke the lip lock and waited for Hunter's eyes to open. "I love you," she told him sincerely and without bothering to try to hide the haywire emotions she was feeling.

He smiled and pecked her lips. "I love you, too."


	15. Heart's On Fire

Missile landing? LMAO! Oh, that did so crack me up. I'm sure no one around here would mind getting "blown up" like that haha. Jess, no idea...I know at least one married couple (married for ten years, 2 kids) that uses them so idk.

Sorry for the wait on this one - I've had the idea forever but am just now typing it out (triplehlover0212 came up with Jack being involved in the family fun near the end, so thanks to her for that!). Initially I was going to type out the whole scene for this chapter...but random inspiration hit for the beginning part, so I figured it best to save it for the next chapter so there's not 2,000 things going on. Plus, being honest, it's after midnight and I work at 8:30am...I wrote until my brain gave out on me! ENJOY and let me know what you think!

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><p>Stephanie squeezed her eyes shut tighter before finally allowing them to flutter open. She and Hunter were lying on their sides towards each other. But beyond his muscular body was the window that was currently causing sunlight to beam onto her face and keep her from continuing to sleep.<p>

She shifted on her pillow so that her husband's body was shielding her from the sunlight better.

While he slept, she admired him. Normally, she would categorize his hair color as being a golden or medium ash blonde. When wet, it usually got darker – sometimes appearing like it was nearly brown with some gold flecks. Because the sun was currently glinting off of it, his hair appeared to be light gold. Her free hand reached up to brush a few stray strands that had fallen out of his ponytail and onto his cheek, behind his ear. As she sighed contentedly, she scanned his face to make sure her movement didn't wake him.

Stephanie resumed her blatant ogling. The way Hunter's hair color varied was much like his eyes did. If he was angry about something, his eyes tended to be a dark brown. When he was in a relatively peaceful, calm mood his eyes were light brown with random splatters of green. The first time she saw those colors switch up in quantity – where the green outnumbered the brown – was just over six years prior. They'd been in the process of fixing their relationship at that time and at that particular moment she was fearful that an intruder was lurking nearby.

With considerable effort, she'd succeeded in waking him up. Instead of complaining or looking annoyed, he gave her a look that changed everything. A look that mended the cracks and healed the emotional scars she'd been dealing with.

It was the color of his eyes that momentarily made her forget why she'd been trying to wake him up in the first place. After that, it was the smile and tender, concerned, loving expression that he'd given her. From that point on, she just somehow knew that everything would work out just fine.

The next time she would see that shift in his eyes was the morning after Jackson had been born. The night that he was born was very stressful – with him arriving slightly premature, being whisked off to the NICU for observation and then being endangered by Andrew. So she hadn't been paying too much attention to the color of her husband's eyes, nor had she been processing what the change might mean.

But the next morning everything was as it should have been. Everyone was healthy, safe and sound. She'd woken up to find baby Jack sleeping peacefully against her chest. Hunter had been propped up on one elbow, with his other arm draped across their son's back and his fingers rubbing her side. When her blue eyes locked with his currently mostly green ones, he'd given her the most beautiful smile she'd ever seen in her entire life.

Over the next six years she would come to learn that when Hunter was so happy that he was about to burst, his eyes would change in that way. And ironically, he was always looking at her when that happened. It never failed to transport her back in time and make her love for him somehow multiply.

There was no doubt in her mind that her husband could and should be referred to as a tough guy. Given his upbringing he'd practically had no choice but to become one. And it didn't hurt that she was initially attracted to him because of that exterior. But she loved the fact that for her he would drop that guard. He'd open up about his fears, aspirations and insecurities. Ever since their reconciliation six years ago she never had to wonder if he loved her or not. Never had to ask herself if she was about to lose him.

Due to the philandering of an identical twin Hunter had no idea existed, she'd essentially taken those surety's, all of his and their hard work and set fire to it. Even though any rational person who'd seen what she'd seen would have drawn the same conclusions, she couldn't help but feel guilty. Her husband hadn't wronged her in any way, shape or form and her behavior had been utterly awful.

Hunter had been quick to forgive her. Hell, he didn't appear to have even been all that mad with her in the first place. But she couldn't quite forgive or stop being pissed at herself. Only an idiot would decide that getting exactly what you asked and worked for was entirely improbable and too good to be true.

She imagined that this is what her husband must have felt like all those years ago. At the time of their breakup, she'd been telling the absolute truth and he didn't believe her. He'd said and done terrible things and pushed her away, because there was falsified proof that she was a liar. She'd had no idea what to do or say to convince her husband otherwise and was too spent emotionally to really try at the time. Hunter, on the other hand was livid and hurt that she didn't try to explain herself and had just taken off on him. As a result they'd spent three months being totally and completely separated. Once the truth was undeniable, Hunter had worked to redeem himself – both in her eyes and in his own.

He felt so badly that he'd let his past allow him to doubt and then almost irreparably hurt the one person he loved most in this world.

This time their roles were reversed, but she thanked God that she'd seen sense after just three days. Maybe that would keep his wounds from being as deep as hers had been and allow her to stop beating herself up sooner.

Her hand ran up and down his spine slowly while she listened to his even breathing. It wasn't very deep, so she knew he'd be close to waking up soon. She shifted her hand and rubbed small circles into his shoulder instead, watching his face intently. It wasn't like she hadn't seen the same face in bed next to her for several years. But for some reason, she couldn't take her eyes off of him.

For starters, he truly was a gorgeous man. He'd probably assault her with tickles until she retracted such a compliment if she said that to his face, but it wouldn't make it any less true. The way his upper body rose and fell against the crisp sheets and his slightly more grown out than normal beard were fascinating to her for some reason.

Everything about him was captivating her this morning. She glanced down at the strong, tanned arm that was possessively encircled around her waist and smiled before shuffling closer, burrowing her face into his neck and further intertwining her leg with his. She laid there enjoying the warmth and closeness for the next few minutes until his cell phone began to ring on the nightstand on his side of the bed.

Ever since he officially became a parent, he didn't sleep as hard as he used to. He was much more sensitive to noise than he had been at the beginning of their relationship. He began to stir and she was sorely tempted to mute the phone. She had no shame in admitting that she'd gladly spend the rest of her morning lying here reminiscing and thinking about their life together while she watched him sleep.

But given that they were currently separated from their children she figured it might be an important call. His eyes finally opened and she grinned hugely at the fact that they were mostly green.

He smiled and pecked her on the lips as a good morning, before somewhat disentangling his body from hers. He reached over and picked up the phone. "Your parents' number," he informed his wife.

"Probably one of the kids. Technically I'm the last parent they spoke to, they just want to make sure they spread the love."

"Okay, hippie," he teased before accepting the call. "Hello," he greeted while propping two pillows up against the headboard and settling in.

"Daddy!" Jack exclaimed happily.

Hunter grinned down at Stephanie, who had yet to move from her previous spot. "Jack! How is my little dude?"

"Good! Me, Karm and Kayce just ate breakfast over at Grandma and Grandpa's."

Stephanie sat up and Hunter extended his arm, allowing her to cuddle into his side. She leaned her head close to his so that she could hear the conversation between her husband and son.

"We had French toast, fruit, eggs and sausage. It was so good, Dad!"

Hunter laughed at Jackson. He definitely inherited his appetite from his father. "That sounds yum. What're you guys gonna get up to today?"

"We want to go swimming. Grandma has swimming stuff here for us. Uncle Shane, Auntie Riss, DJ and Jen are coming! We wanna know if you would come, too."

Stephanie gave him a thumbs up, but pouted and mouthed "What about me?"

Hunter softly snickered before answering an impatient Jackson. He could hear the girls in the background, repeating a chorus of "Please, Daddy!"

"Sure, I'll come over and swim with you guys. I miss my little people."

"Us too," Jack answered for the three of them. "When are you coming?"

Hunter glanced over at the digital clock and noted that it wasn't quite ten yet. He figured that he and Stephanie could enjoy the lavish hotel room, eat, shower and spend some more alone time together. "How's one?" He asked his son.

"All right!" He agreed excitedly. "Love you, Dad."

"Love you, Daddy!" Karmina and Kaycee chimed in from farther away.

"Love you guys," Hunter returned before clicking off.

Stephanie sat up and looked at her husband, tapping a finger to her dented chin thoughtfully. "I don't know whether to be overjoyed at the fact that our kids worship the ground you walk on or to be insulted and hurt that I'm not invited to this family get-together," she stated playfully.

Hunter laughed at her and pulled her in for a hug. "They're probably just not sure what our status is. We haven't told them we're gonna be a fully functioning family again. They're under the impression that you'll pick them up alone tonight and then you guys will hang out."

"I think we should keep it that way. They'll be so excited and surprised when we show up together."

Hunter snorted out his laughter. "You're going to _crash_ a family-friendly pool party? I can't believe I married and made kids with such a degenerate."

Stephanie backhanded his bare chest but couldn't stop from laughing herself. "Yeah? Well given the last twelve hours, you might've made another kid with me. And besides...you're the one who corrupted me. I learned from the best," she quipped.

He shook his head and wagged a finger from side to side. "True, as far as the kid goes. But you were well on your way to being besmirched before I came along. You just needed that extra nudge to come over to the dark side."

"Besmirched?" She questioned with wide eyes before laughing hysterically. "Oh my God, I so rarely get to hear or use that word. Thanks, baby!" She patted his chest affectionately and contemplated for a moment. "If this feeling of being insanely happy is the dark side, I don't know why anyone wouldn't want to cross over."

Hunter was about to continue with their lighthearted, yet emotional banter. But the ringing of Stephanie's phone stopped him. She furrowed her brow and reached out to grab the phone. "My parents," she said in surprise. "Hello?"

"Mom!"

"Hey Jack! What's up?" She eyed her husband who wore an expression that was just as speculative as what she was feeling. "Everything okay?"

"It's great!" Jack confirmed. "Everybody's going for a swim at one. Can you come, too?"

Stephanie's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Who's everybody?"

"Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Shano, Aunt Riss, DJ, Jen...Me, Kayce and Karm!"

It didn't escape Stephanie or Hunter's attention that he'd left out his father's name.

Stephanie nodded and tried to resist the urge to laugh out loud and oust her son for trying to sneakily get her and Hunter at the same place at the same time. The boy had no idea that they were already way ahead of him. But it was cute and clever of him to try. "Wow, that's everybody all right," she said in astonishment.

"Yeah, so much fun! Please come?"

"I don't know Jack," she said unsurely before glancing at Hunter mischievously and sending him a wink. "I have a lot to do today."

The next thing Stephanie heard was a combination of her son and daughter's voices and they all let out a whining, pleading "Please!"

"Okay okay, I'll come."

"Yes!" Jack congratulated himself.

"Love you!" Her three kids said at the same time.

Stephanie laughed. "Love you back!"

She hung up and turned to Hunter. He was shaking his head at his children's cunning ways at such a young age. Stephanie burst into laughter and buried her head into his chest.


	16. Family & Forgiveness

Hey all! Got a pretty long update for ya to make up for neglecting this poor fic...though I'm starting to notice that the longer I take with updates, the more feedback I get. Go figure. LOL. It was going to be double this length, potentially..but there was already so much happening (a near-fight, some gooey stuff and some foreshadowing) so I didn't want all of those elements to be lost from making the chapter even longer. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

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><p>Hunter squeezed Stephanie's hand to get her attention. "Should we tell everyone we're trying for another baby?"<p>

Stephanie twisted her lip while she considered. She made a left turn onto the dirt road that led up to her parents' estate. "Hmm. No," she said after a few moments before shaking her head. "That's like announcing we're going to have lots of sex without contraception."

"We kind of already do that," Hunter pointed out.

Stephanie nodded and turned her attention from the winding, uphill road to grin at her husband quickly. "Exactly! See? Nothing to announce, really."

Hunter laughed, "Well we do have some news involving the addition of a new family member."

Stephanie furrowed her brow momentarily, before it hit her. "Howard? You want to tell them about Howard?"

He shrugged. "It makes sense to. Especially since you're going to have to explain how we ended up back on track."

"Not necessarily," she disagreed. "I believed you before I accidentally met Howard. I'd asked you to go back to the restaurant so that I could apologize and put things right. But it's up to you whether or not you want to share all of that."

Hunter got the distinct feeling that this was one of those moments where the communication between men and women broke down. Meaning that there was only one answer that would appease his wife, but she wanted him to come by it on his own. Then, if he screwed it up she would be pissed. That wasn't characteristic of Stephanie; she was more direct...but he was still wary. On the other hand, Howard was his twin brother. It was important that he connect with him and make him feel welcome. Right now Howard was in Hunter's territory, merging himself into Hunter's life. It had to make Howard feel a bit uncomfortable and intrusive. Things would be better all-around if he prepped everyone to eventually meet him.

That was Hunter's train of thinking. But it seemed that Stephanie didn't agree. He decided to play it the safe route. "What are your thoughts on the situation?"

Stephanie drew her bottom lip in briefly. God, she didn't want to have this conversation. Especially not so soon. She knew that Hunter was excited about being connected to a piece of his past. Particularly a piece that hadn't made his life a living hell. Over the last several years, Hunter had truly become a member of the rest of her family. Not only did they support their relationship, but they'd also grown to truly love and welcome her husband. It wasn't uncommon for the guys to wander off and do their own outings. Or for them to organize barbecue get-togethers.

That was a stark contrast to the way things started: with Stephanie's family publicly opposing their marriage so much that they vacated the company before eventually returning to try to ruin the two of them.

But she knew that there was a void in Hunter that would never quite be filled. And it had to do with having no blood relatives that he hadn't actually created. Stephanie was literally the foundation of all aspects of his family life. Without her, he essentially would have no family. And even though he was extremely happy with their life in general, she had to guess that it was a strange situation for him.

All holidays were spent with the McMahons and the kids only had one set of grandparents. And while that was fine, it just kind of sucked that there were never any questions asked about where to spend special occasions. Greenwich was everything by default.

So, Stephanie understood why Hunter was so thrilled about having a brother. Especially since she'd been so close to her own brother for her entire life. She couldn't imagine not being able to bicker with him as well as go to him for advice and reassurance from time to time. Hunter had missed out on that and she didn't blame him for being eager to try to create such a relationship now that he'd been given that opportunity.

But it was too soon. Family and close personal relationships didn't seem to be Howard's thing. Furthermore, the man had a somewhat wild lifestyle filled with booze, partying and random, casual sex. Not only did he not seem to be a good influence for his nephew and nieces, but he didn't seem like the type to stick around. She wanted to protect her husband as much as possible, without crowding him. And there wasn't really an easy way to say that he shouldn't get his hopes up on having a close brotherly relationship with someone who hardly spoke to the parents that had raised him. But at the same time, she knew that if she didn't play this right, Hunter would just end up resenting her and thinking she was trying to stand in the way or something.

"I think waiting a little bit might be a good idea. You know, feel the situation out," she answered vaguely.

"Uh huh," Hunter said in a tone that showed he wasn't sure where this comment of hers was going. "Want to be a little bit more specific?"

Stephanie felt her cheeks beginning to get warm. She couldn't lie to her husband about what she felt. And she was doing her best to sugar-coat the reality. But if he continued to ask for specifics she'd run out of gentle ways to tell Hunter to be cautious. "It's just...not anyone else's business right now. You should get to know him before bringing him around our family."

Hunter nodded and turned his head to stare out of the window. The trees were becoming more scarce, signaling that they were almost at the mansion. "Which part of the family are you talking about, Steph? The kids? Your parents? Shane and Marissa?"

Stephanie pulled her truck up to the gate and punched in the pass code. The slick iron moved out of her way silently, welcoming them in. Once she was through, she turned to give Hunter an incredulous stare. "Why would you even ask me that? What difference does it make? Family is family."

"Apparently not. Because Howard is family now and you think he should be separated from everyone. That says to me that my relatives are a bit of an exclusion from the term," he paused and held his hands up to do air-quotes, "Family."

She drove for a few hundred more yards, before pulling into the large carport on the side of her parents' house. Her eyes quickly scanned the area, noticing that Shane and Marissa had beaten them here. She turned the engine off and gripped the steering wheel for composure. When they were in sync and she wasn't allowing her emotions or temper to get the best of her, she really did know him well. Without him even having to ever voice all of his thoughts on his lack of relatives, she knew this was exactly where this conversation would lead if she wasn't careful. Truthfully, she thought she _was_ being careful. Otherwise, she'd have avoided this topic all day so that they could just have fun and enjoy hanging out.

Finally, she turned her head to face Hunter. The insult was evident in the way he looked at her. Jesus, she had to fix this as soon as possible. She had to hope that she'd turn out to be wrong about Howard. For her husband's sake, she hoped she was. She reached out and grabbed his chin between her thumb and forefinger. "I'm sorry if what I said seemed that way. It wasn't what I meant at all," she said softly. "But everyone's going to have questions about Howard. Questions that we might not have answers for. They're going to want to meet him sooner rather than later. And maybe Howard isn't comfortable with that idea yet since he hardly even knows you. And did you stop to think they're going to want to know why you didn't know you had a twin? You'd have to open up about the whole foster family thing. Babe, I just don't want you to end up in a situation you're not ready for."

Hunter felt his tension and irritation ease off, to be replaced by warmth at the fact that all Stephanie was trying to do was look out for him. He grabbed Stephanie's hand, pulling it away from his chin, to drop a kiss against her knuckles. He appreciated her concern. But she was right. It was his decision and he hadn't quite made it yet. Rather than agree or disagree with her, he let go of her hand and opened his door.

Stephanie's blue eyes followed him as he made his way to the back of the truck, grabbing the duffel bag with their stuff from the trunk. She took the opportunity to shake her head worriedly. She knew Hunter and his mannerisms well enough to know that there was a reason he showed her affection, but didn't respond to anything she had said, asked or suggested. She waited patiently until he came and opened her door a few seconds later.

She accepted his help by placing her slender hand in his while she stepped down from the driver's seat and to the ground. They walked towards the entrance of the house in companionable silence, with both of them actively trying to forget the almost-argument that just occurred.

"You gonna use your key?" Hunter asked.

"That might tip the kids off that I'm here. You know at least one of them will be near the door," she smirked.

He gave her a smile and a quick kiss on the cheek before heading up the few steps leading to the walkway.

"It'll probably be that scheming son of yours," Stephanie quipped.

"Why does he have to be mine when he's scheming?" Hunter asked, placing a hand over his heart to indicate his fake-wounded feelings.

"Seems fair that he gets your personality traits since he looks like both of us, but the girls are 85% clones of me. Jack taking after you evens things out."

Hunter snorted. "The girls have a mix of our hair colors and textures. They're 90% you, at the very least. So it's still uneven."

"You've already made much headway in attempting to have me barefoot and pregnant, yet again. This baby might tip the scales in your favor."

"Maybe," he agreed before ringing the doorbell, releasing her hand and moving to block her from being seen.

They both stifled their laughter when they heard low thuds and excited whispering coming from inside the house.

"Yes, go on," they heard Linda say clearly.

A few seconds later, several pairs of feet were heard scurrying to the door before it creaked open quietly.

Five excited voices called out to Hunter all at once. Jack had yelled, "Dad" while Karmina and Kaycee had yelled, "Daddy." Declan had yelled, "Uncle" while his little sister Jennifer had managed to say "Kel" which was her two-year old way of calling him uncle.

"Hey guys!" Hunter greeted while he walked through the door, with Stephanie ducking behind him, her hands planted against the middle of his back.

Before he knew what was happening, Jack had thrown his arms around his waist in a tight hug and the twins had each claimed a leg of his. He grinned and dropped a kiss into Jack's hair before ruffling the girls' currently unruly, light brown waves.

"We got a surprise for you, Dad," Jack announced, pulling back to look up at his father.

Hunter resisted the urge to laugh, knowing that Jack was probably referring to his mother. Before their temporary split had occurred, Jack had picked up that his Mom was angry but that he was simply sad. "Yeah? What's the surprise?"

"Mommy's coming," Karmina chimed in from farther down.

"You're her surprise too, Daddy," Kaycee added.

Hunter ignored the vibration against his back, caused by Stephanie's attempt to keep from laughing out loud. "Really? Well today is just full of surprises. I've got a surprise for all of you."

The girls tugged on his legs anxiously, while Jack released him and stepped back. His currently blue eyes were excited and curious as he eyed the duffel bag attached to Hunter's shoulder, figuring he'd brought presents.

"Open it! Please, Daddy?" The twins requested.

"Open!" Jennifer commanded in an excited mumble.

"Come on, Uncle Hunter, what is it?" Declan asked as he bounced from one foot to the other.

Shane appeared in the doorway leading to the humongous backyard. He leaned against the sliding doors, with his arms folded across his chest casually. His black hair was glistening from the dip he must have been taking in the pool.

"Don't keep us all in suspense," he instructed jokingly.

Instead of answering, Hunter leaned down to unhook the twins from his legs. When he was free, he simply stepped to the side to reveal Stephanie standing right behind him.

"Surprise!" She exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear as she watched the jaws of her three kids drop right before Karmina and Kaycee bum-rushed her in a group hug. Before she could protest, Jack practically jumped into her arms. He was a big boy, so she shifted to hold him more comfortably, against her hip.

Shane grinned over at the family of five, before scooping his own kids out of the way to give the Helmsley's a little bit of privacy.

Jack pushed the hair out of his mother's face so he could see her better. He tugged his father over to them, by his arm. "You came together," he accused.

"Guilty," Hunter and Stephanie said.

"Your Dad and I had worked things out already when the three of you decided to try to trick us into getting back together."

"Really?" The twins asked.

"Yes, really," Hunter mimicked before attacking their sides with tickles.

Jackson reached out for his father, who obliged him instantly. "Cool. It sucked when you and Mommy weren't happy anymore."

"Yeah," the girls agreed.

Stephanie felt her heart melt into complete mush. Not only were her kids a group of sweethearts, but she felt like an ass for causing a situation that "sucked" for them. That situation being her mistaking Howard for Hunter and then not believing her husband. Clearly, it had hurt their babies and she needed to own up to that.

She reached down and grabbed a twin in each arm, so that they were mostly level with their brother. "It was my mistake, you guys. I thought that Daddy was being bad and it hurt Mommy. So she tried to hurt Daddy back. But your Dad didn't do anything wrong and Mommy is going to try her hardest to make it up to him and to the three of you." She pressed a kiss to each child's cheek before looking at them, practically begging them to accept her apology. "I'm sorry that I hurt you guys," she said sincerely. She looked up at Hunter and amended her statement, realizing she never asked for forgiveness in those exact words. "I'm so sorry that I hurt _all _of you. Forgive me?" She asked meekly, glancing at each of them.

All three kids' heads nodded affirmatively. Karmina and Kaycee pressed kisses to her cheeks and Jack quickly kissed the side of her mouth, making Stephanie's smile light up the room.

Hunter put their son down and ruffled his brown curls. Stephanie unhooked the girls from her sides and sat them down. "Go on and play in the pool. Your Dad and I will be out soon," she encouraged.

"Okay," the girls eagerly agreed before taking off in a sprint after their brother through the living room.

Stephanie's eyes went wide, already knowing what her kids were about to do. "And guys? Don't-" Stephanie's voice trailed off when she saw them all jump as high as they could, landing in the pool with synchronized splashes.

Hunter laughed at the strained look on Stephanie's face. "Relax."

She turned around and shook her head, "They're trying to give me a heart attack," she claimed.

"Doubtful. They love you and forgive you. And if it wasn't clear already, I forgive you," he confirmed.

Stephanie threw her arms around his waist, burying her face into his chest. Hunter returned the embrace by rubbing her upper arms reassuringly and planting a kiss near her hairline.

"Things won't always run smoothly. But I meant it when I said I'd rather take a bullet than cause pain for you or our kids, Steph. If you know that and believe it, we'll always make it through."

She nodded her head against his shirt, trying to keep her tears at bay and on the verge of failing miserably. "I do know that. I'm so sorry for all of this, baby. I love you so-"

They broke apart when they heard retching noises coming from outside. They turned and saw Shane, Marissa, Vince and Linda standing there spying on them. Both Marissa and Linda just looked happy and like they were about to cry. Vince was shaking his head at the emotional display and Shane was pointing down his throat, pretending he was throwing up.

"Come on outside, you two. This is a party...sort of. No more private time. Plus I need the guys to help out with the food in a little bit."

"Food?" Hunter questioned, his hazel eyes immediately going from sentimental to greedy.

"Go on," Stephanie laughed and pushed him towards the door, while she followed closely behind.

Marissa headed off in the direction of the staircase that led to the various water slides. Shane went off and sat in the cave that was to the side of the waterfall at the other end of the pool.

Linda and Vince went into the kitchen to do the prep work for the food.

Stephanie and Hunter found themselves an empty cabana. Hunter put down their duffel bag before whipping his t-shirt off over his head. Stephanie took a moment to ogle his muscular arms before stepping out of the somewhat loose-fitting beach dress she was wearing.

Blue eyes narrowed when the corners of Hunter's mouth began to twitch. "What?" She asked.

He danced his fingers over her neck. "Better hope no one notices those hickey's of yours," he teased.

She shook her head. "That reflects badly on you, not me. I'm just an innocent victim," she disagreed with a huge smile.

"Is that right?" When she nodded, he added, "Gee, I wonder how _you're _reflected, with all of these claw marks on me."

Stephanie's cheeks flushed red with her embarrassment and she turned around, to make sure no one was overhearing this conversation. "Hey! They're not that bad."

"No they're not," he instantly agreed. "But they are many. If what you did last night wasn't enough, you had to go and put some new ones on my chest this morning!"

"I can't help myself with you," she complained in a pitiful voice.

Hunter pecked her pouting lips before sighing. "I know you can't. Self-control isn't one of your best qualities," he added cheekily. He ran away from her, when she lifted her arm to smack him. He kept running until he reached the diving board at the deep end of the pool. He cannon balled effortlessly, splashing every last one of the five children in the face. Stephanie shook her head. It's not like the kids minded, they thought it was the best thing ever.

Truth be told, so did she. The brewing storm from their conversation in the car had subsided completely. Still, she was curious to know whether or not her husband would clue anybody in to Howard's existence.


	17. Dysfunctional

This is probably not the best chapter of this fic. It's dialogue heavy, rather than being super detailed. But hopefully it serves its purpose. At least I got something updated, right? LOL. Just when I think my writing hat is hung, a chapter comes popping into my head. ENJOY and let me know what you think (same with Basic Instinct, interest seems to have waned there, guys).

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><p>When Shane finally emerged from the cave behind the waterfall and made his way to the pool, Stephanie noticed that something strange happened: Marissa left the pool at a leisurely pace, but without acknowledging her husband.<p>

Instead, Marissa had begun walking towards her sister-in-law, while their respective husbands frolicked in the pool with all the children. Stephanie knew she wouldn't be able to keep the curious look off of her face and she didn't bother trying. "Hey Riss," she greeted with an inviting smile.

"Heya," Marissa returned with a low sigh.

Stephanie's brow crinkled with concern as she watched Marissa sit down in front of her. "What's up?" She asked, reaching out to tap her sister-in-law's knee.

Another sigh was Marissa's initial reply before she wistfully looked out in the direction of the pool. She moved her dark hair from around her face, pulling it behind her neck.

Stephanie glanced over in Shane's direction, then back at Marissa. "What did he do?" She asked with a shake of her head.

Marissa turned to Stephanie and shrugged. "Nothing, really," she answered.

The younger woman shook her head. "Something is up between you two. You're both acting weird. And I can tell you came over here to talk. So spill it," she scolded.

Marissa bit down on her lower lip in hesitation. God, this was so embarrassing…and weird. But she had to tell someone and she needed some answers.

While she waited for Marissa to compose herself, Stephanie sipped at her daiquiri casually while she watched Hunter interact with the kids. Ten years ago, she never would have imagined that either of them would be here. Though she was attracted to him, she wouldn't have figured Hunter for a future family man. She found him sexy, dangerous and mysterious. And she had a hunch that once she solved the mystery, he wouldn't turn out to actually be dangerous.

And despite her interest in figuring him out, she was more concerned with getting even with her father and having fun. An actual husband and children weren't exactly on her radar at that time.

But now that she had this amazing life, she knew that everything happened for a reason and that she wouldn't change any of it. Not when Hunter had turned out to be an awesome husband and father.

"Do you and Hunter have a lot of sex?"

Marissa's question knocked Stephanie out of her thoughts…and into a state of pure mortification. She choked on her drink and began coughing and patting her chest to regain her composure. "What?" She asked raggedly, with her blue eyes wide and vivid.

"Do you and-"

Stephanie quickly held up her hand to interrupt with, "I heard you!"

Marissa's dark eyebrows rose. "Well?" She asked.

Stephanie shook her head in bewilderment. "Why the hell are you asking me this, Riss?"

Marissa shrugged. "Well, you two are always so touchy…affectionate in public, you know. Logic would follow, that when you're in private no one would have to hold back."

Stephanie arched an eyebrow at Marissa's analysis. From the tone, she could tell that the slightly older woman spoke from experience. And she guessed maybe her conclusions held some weight since she and Hunter did lead a passionate life. "You can't really gauge it that way because every couple is different. Having kids can make things tricky. But we do what we can, when we can."

Marissa nodded and smirked a little. "That's a very diplomatic answer, Steph. It's the "I'm not telling you because I'm getting a lot of love and you're not" answer." She tilted her head and asked, "How many times a week would be normal for you two?"

Stephanie's slender hand reached up to her forehead and rubbed for a few moments. "Um," she hesitated. "Are we talking about how many days a week Hunter and I have sex? Or how many times a week, period…like if I were to count each individual session?"

Marissa's jaw dropped. "Oh my God! More than once a day? I can't believe this," she muttered.

Despite how much she really and truly didn't want to know, Stephanie was going to ask anyway. "Is Shane not putting out or something?"

"He wants to."

"I'm confused. So Shane wants to…and you're here asking me for advice basically…what gives?"

Nervously, Marissa twisted her hands in her lap. It was embarrassing enough to ask Stephanie about her love life. It was beyond embarrassing to learn that – for all intents and purposes – her little sister was getting way more action than she was. But this? This would be embarrassing to the tenth. "I'm a little…reserved. Sexually speaking."

Both of Stephanie's eyebrows rose. If she was going to help, she needed more details. But she seriously didn't want to know any more. This was her brother's wife for crying out loud! She wanted no knowledge whatsoever on the things her brother got up to in that regard.

"The women in my family – that's just how we are. We all just teach and reinforce to each other that certain places and certain positions aren't appropriate for sex."

"My God!" Stephanie exclaimed. "Stop! Stop right now," she begged frantically, before Marissa went into detail.

"Sorry, but it's true. I mean, two decades of only being taught that missionary and bed are the only two things that should be associated with sex and that-"

Stephanie immediately covered her ears with her hands. "Lalalala," she sang, to drown Marissa's rant out. When the other woman stopped speaking and held her hands up in apology, Stephanie took her hands down.

"For this conversation I'm going to desperately pretend that you're not married to my brother," she began. "Here's the thing…you're married. And you're not a fossil. You shouldn't have to be inhibited with your husband. I mean he's been by you through everything and seen you at your best and your worst. Why hold back with something that should be fun, pleasurable and bring you closer?"

"It's just – I was always taught that good girls just don't…try anything out of those norms I mentioned."

Stephanie laughed loudly. "This isn't the sixties, Riss! And trying other things doesn't make you some kind of slut." Reconsidering, she tilted her head from left to right. "Well if it did, you'd just be your husband's slut. That's perfectly fine," she chuckled. "The bottom line is that doing the exact same thing in the exact same place," she made a circular motion with her hand for emphasis, "over and over and over again gets boring. Be a little spontaneous. Be a little daring. Go look up some stuff in Cosmo magazine or something and try it."

Marissa nodded. "Is that what you do?"

"Definitely; we both look at stuff from time to time. Someone somewhere is always coming up with something. Even if it doesn't turn out to be mind-blowing, it's still fun to try. And at the end of it, I feel closer to Hunter just because it's another memory we've created." Feeling comfortable again, Stephanie reached out and took a sip of her drink. "The keyword there is "we", you know. If Hunter wasn't actively participating in this process, I probably wouldn't be so open and willing about different things and places. But he does an amazing job making sure I'm comfortable and satisfied. He'd never suggest anything that'd be dangerous, painful or demoralizing. My suggestion to you would be to talk to your guy about what your limits are and why they exist. When your husband wants you…and only you, it's a beautiful thing. And it can be great, if you let it be."

Marissa grinned and clutched Stephanie in a hug. "Thanks, Steph. That's helped a lot, actually. I think you've missed your calling as a couples counselor or sex therapist."

Stephanie laughed as they broke apart. "No way; I never want to speak of this again."

An hour later, the whole family was sitting at the table enjoying food, drinks and chatter. The five children were seated at the opposite side of their parents. It allowed for the adults to not have to overly screen their language or conversations. As long as no one spoke overly loud, the kids were in their own little world.

Shane used his fork to spear a piece of barbecued tri-tip. "So Steph," he spoke in between bites, "I see you've decided to stop being entirely insane?"

Stephanie drew her eyebrows together and asked, "Huh?"

Shane gestured between Hunter and Stephanie. "That load of crap about you kicking Hunter out because you were convinced you saw him cheating on you."

"What?" Vince boomed from beside Linda, who grabbed his arm sternly and jerked her head towards the kids a few seats away. He scoffed and swallowed harshly to calm himself down. "You cheated on my daughter?" Vince hissed at Hunter, lowly.

Hunter shook his head. "I didn't. Hence Shane's "load of crap" statement."

"So what happened?" Shane pressed.

"I just had to confront some issues I thought I'd dealt with. And I know my husband…once I addressed my own problems, I could see him. I could see the real him and I knew he was telling the truth about being faithful. I knew that I didn't see what I thought I had."

Shane grinned at his baby sister's maturity and at the fact that she'd finally realized what almost everyone else could: that Hunter was completely in love with and devoted to her.

However, Vince wasn't convinced. He'd successfully fooled everyone on his indiscretions before. Maybe Hunter was just a good liar. "Really, Steph? You mean to tell me that you caught him cheating red-handed and you let him talk his way out of it and convince you you'd been seeing things?"

Stephanie narrowed her eyes at her father pointedly. It was partially his inability to be loyal and truthful that had caused her to doubt her husband. She wasn't particularly pleased that he was jumping down her throat for having faith in Hunter. He was absolutely nothing like Vince and the old man needed to get that in his head, instead of assuming that every guy was a cheater.

"I was seeing things," she insisted. "Some men have it in them to cheat and lie. Some just have a weak moment and then never do it again. And some…well they just don't do things like that at all."

Dismissing the almost blatant comparison his daughter was intending to draw, Vince simply shook his head. "Love makes people stupid. Makes them blind to what's going on right in front of them."

Shane and Marissa both stared at Vince in wide-eyed silence. It was like he was determined to throw himself under the relationship bus. Everyone at the table was well aware of Vince's trysts. And of how Linda continued to stand by him, despite what he did. Now, he was grilling his daughter for believing that her husband simply wouldn't do that to her.

Stephanie let out a disgusted breath. "You know what, Dad? I picked a good man to be stupidly, blindly in love with. The bottom line is that my husband didn't and would never do that to me. He puts his family first."

"Damn it, Stephanie-"

"Just stop Vince! All right?" Hunter said sternly. "I have a twin brother. That's who Stephanie saw and he admitted to that. So just get off her case already."

The kids and all of the adults except Stephanie openly gaped at Hunter, not saying a word. Stephanie bowed her head and closed her eyes tightly and briefly. This was exactly what she was afraid of – Hunter just randomly blurting out Howard's existence. Ignoring the utter silence of the entire table, she simply went back to eating.

"You're a twin, Daddy?" Kaycee asked, with her little face scrunched up in confusion.

"Just like us?" Karmina piped in excitedly.

Hunter glanced over at Stephanie to see how she felt about this. Her damp hair was shielding her face from his view while she ate. He turned his attention back to the kids. "I'm a twin like you guys. I have a twin brother."

"What's his name, Dad?" Jack asked curiously.

"His name is Howard," Hunter answered.

"Is he going to fight with Uncle Shane?"

Finally, Stephanie looked up again and rejoined the conversation. Her son's question had completely thrown her off guard. "What? Why would he do that?"

Jack shifted in his seat. "Uncle Shane's your brother Mom. Howard is Dad's brother. What if they can't share?"

The tension was eased at the innocent inquiry and everyone started laughing. Hunter reached over and ruffled Jack's wet hair affectionately. "I think they'll be fine," he said simply, dissuading his son's fears.

Vince decided to keep probing. "Why are we just now hearing about a twin?"

"We just found out about him by chance," Hunter answered. "We literally ran into him on the street ."

"Must have been one of those twins separated at birth adoption things," Vince muttered gruffly. "He identical to you?"

"Yep," Hunter answered.

"Maybe he'll come be a superstar since you refuse to come back."

Hunter laughed awkwardly. "Uh, when did I refuse to come back?"

Vince eyed Hunter strangely. "Consistently, for nearly a year now."

Hunter arched an eyebrow and shook his head, signaling he had absolutely no clue what Vince was talking about.

"Yeah I had Linda talk to Steph to try to persuade you to come back. You refused."

Hunter turned to Stephanie with narrowed eyes, biting his bottom lip in agitation. Stephanie stared back at him wide-eyed and with her mouth parted, at a total loss for words.

"I didn't know anything about it," he said lowly, staring at Stephanie heatedly. "I can't believe you would keep that from me for a year, Stephanie. Seriously?" He asked incredulously.

Stephanie shook her head vehemently. "I haven't kept it from you. My mother never-" she trailed off, the realization dawning on her suddenly. She looked at Linda and asked, "Mom?"

With the spotlight now on her, Linda's face flushed with her guilt and shame for the lies she told. But she was otherwise proud of what she had done. "I did it for the family you've built, Steph."

Angry blue eyes met somber ones. "Really? The last time I checked, lies tear families apart. You should know that better than anyone. Not only did you lie on me, but you lied on my husband. That's unacceptable."

"Stephanie I'm sorry. I was doing it to protect you guys."

Stephanie swallowed roughly. "I know why you did it, Mom. You thought that if given the choice between me and the kids and being a full-time superstar, Hunter wouldn't choose us. You didn't bother to look into things…It was his decision to leave the ring. I didn't tell him to; I was in support of whatever he wanted to do. But he wanted to be a full-time husband to me and parent to his kids."

Stephanie could feel her temper beginning to get the best of her. And it wasn't something that she wanted everyone – especially all of the kids – to see. This was supposed to be her reconciliation time with Hunter and their family. But instead, drama just kept presenting itself. On this particular day, the McMahon mansion was a toxic environment. Maybe it was a sign that she, Hunter and the kids needed to just spend time with each other today. She shoved back her chair and stood up from the table. "I would _really _appreciate it if both you and your husband would stop projecting your shortcomings onto my relationship."

Shane watched his sister storm off to the cabana she'd been using, watching as she frantically started to get her things together. "You two sure do know how to ruin a party," he commented to his parents with a shake of his head.


	18. Living It Up

In the driver's seat, Hunter turned his head to glance at Stephanie briefly. He exhaled hugely at the fact that she was still in a bad mood. During the fifteen minute car ride to their home she'd been relatively quiet, with her arms crossed under her chest and her jaw set. Wanting to stew and sulk was probably the only reason she'd hopped into the passenger seat when they'd reached her car and prepared to head home.

Hunter took one hand off of the wheel and placed it on her thigh, squeezing lightly as he pulled up to their gated house.

Stephanie continued to stare out of the window with her posture unchanged for a moment. Then she sighed and uncrossed her arms, putting one hand on top of her husband's. She placed her elbow against the door, leaning her head against her other hand before reluctantly looking at Hunter.

"You okay?" He asked as he drove into the garage, parking next to his own vehicle.

Blue eyes watched Hunter's fingers fiddle with her wedding and engagement rings. "No," she said honestly. "But I will be."

Hunter's mouth curved up in a small smile. "I love you, if that helps speed the process along."

At this, she finally let out a low chuckle. "It does. I love you, too. I'm sorry I ruined the afternoon."

Deciding not to respond immediately, Hunter got out of the car, opened the door to the backseat and nearly laughed at the fact that their kids were all transfixed on the movie playing and didn't even notice he was there. "Jack, Karm, Kayce," he said to get their attention. "Go on upstairs and get ready to take baths. Your Mom and I will be in, in a minute."

The three kids nodded affirmatively, with Karmina and Kaycee hopping out first. Hunter released the lock on the seat and pushed it forward, allowing Jack to emerge from the last row of the SUV. He ran to catch up with his little sisters and open the door to the house for them.

Once they were out of sight, Hunter went to Stephanie's door and opened it. He extended his hand to help her out before closing the door for her. Instead of allowing her to go inside, he placed his hands above her head on the car and lightly pressed her up against it before he kissed her. After a few seconds he pulled away and cupped her cheek in his palm. "Baby, you didn't ruin the afternoon. That honor mostly goes to your father, with an assist from your mother."

"I know…he started it and she made it worse. But I didn't have to storm off and pack up our stuff."

Hunter shrugged. "I think that was the wisest route. If we'd stayed any longer it probably would've gone even more downhill. Today was supposed to be relaxing and fun and they've stressed you out and pissed me off."

Stephanie looped her arms around his neck. "Hey! I'm pissed, too. You don't get to be the only angry one."

Hunter nodded and grinned, moving his hands down to her hips. "Okay," he agreed. "I dub thee "pissed"…is that better?"

"A little. I mean I'm mad that she kept that from me and then lied about it. But I guess I'm even more upset that what she did could have caused problems between you and I. It almost did. If my father had brought it up to you in private…I don't know how that would've played out."

"We'd have figured it out."

"I know. We always do. I just really hate fighting with you. Even more so when neither of us actually did anything wrong. We just got through something and because of them another fight almost got started."

Hunter shook his head. "But we didn't fight. The truth got out before we could and we're fine."

Stephanie expelled a tense breath and fastened a hand in Hunter's still somewhat damp hair. She pulled him down to her height and pecked him on the lips. "Yeah, we're fine."

Several hours later the kids were all camped around the living room television watching _Ratatouille. _The kids absolutely loved it and it didn't drive their parents insane to watch it.

Shane and Marissa had called to check up on the family of five and apologize. Shane felt guilty that he'd inquired about the situation of how Stephanie finally believed her husband. If he had kept his mouth shut, Vince wouldn't have gotten himself all worked up and gotten on her case. While Hunter and Stephanie appreciated it, neither of them had been upset with Shane.

It seemed like this evening was one for sibling interaction, because Hunter and Howard had been texting one another for the past few minutes. Stephanie would just arch an eyebrow and shake her head when Hunter would randomly burst out laughing at something his twin said. She wasn't going to ask what was so funny. Not only did she not truly want to know, but she was the slightest bit irritated with Hunter over Howard.

Like she thought, bringing up his existence hadn't quelled her family's questions. On the contrary, it actually brought about more questions.

She'd been screening her mother and father's calls all evening. If she hadn't, she was sure to have completely and totally lost her temper. She didn't have the patience to hear her mother's lame excuses for lying. There simply wasn't one. And her father – ever the opportunist - had left her voicemails and text messages inquiring about Howard as pertained to a future with the company.

Stephanie had had to quell her disgust with Vince and try her best not to let it ruin her night. She'd been able to distract herself easily since she had to help take care of three children and a house. She and Hunter had prepared dinner together. When one of them wasn't busy on a task, they were flirting and joking around. During dinner there was more than enough chatter to keep her mind occupied. After dinner they'd watched the movie for about an hour, before she and Hunter went to go clean up the kitchen.

They'd been having fun with the bit of alone time, with one of them flicking sudsy water at the other or smacking each other with the drying cloth. For the most part that all came to a screeching halt once Howard decided to contact his brother.

Stephanie didn't exactly consider herself to be the overly jealous sort. The only time she reacted was when it seemed like there was a legitimate threat to her relationship. So if a woman on the street gave her husband a seductive glance, she paid it absolutely no attention. Generally speaking, Hunter spared other women a polite nod at the very most. His attention and focus was typically reserved for his wife and vice versa.

So Stephanie was frustrated by the fact that a drop of bitterness and resentment had formed inside of her and was rapidly becoming hardened. This was supposed to be her time with her husband. He was focused on her all right…until another text from Howard popped up. Maybe this was her fault. In her mind, she had graciously bowed out of the prior day's conversation between them. Maybe she had unknowingly set the tone for how things were going to be; maybe she'd accidentally communicated that Howard should always come before her.

Her slender hands gripped the plate tightly while she closed her eyes for a moment. No. No, that wasn't why she was getting worked up. When Hunter left her on her own to go hang out or talk to Shawn, Kevin or Shane she encouraged it and wasn't the least bit bothered.

It was Howard. Something about him just bugged her. She could somehow just sense that he was going to be bad news. But given the importance of the situation and Howard's newfound position in Hunter's life, she had to play this cool. She couldn't just run around condemning the guy before he actually did anything. But the logical side of her brain liked to avoid mishap and disasters as much as possible. Why walk onto a landmine or allow your loved one to, if you knew that it was there?

_Because I don't know, _she reminded herself sternly. She just had a gut feeling. And that gut feeling wasn't worth bringing up to her husband.

A hand on her shoulder broke her train of thought. She jumped slightly; she hadn't even realized Hunter had come back to her side of the kitchen. It was a habit of his to pace and walk around whenever he was using his phone. "Pretty focused on those dishes, huh?"

Laughing off his lighthearted comment, she rinsed the plate under the sink before handing it to him.

"Hey listen. Howard wants to hang out tonight."

Stephanie bit the inside of her cheek, to hold back the caution she instinctively wanted to blurt out. "Okay," she replied.

Noticing that something was off with her tone, he took a hold of her arm and turned her to face him. "Is that all right with you?"

Stephanie shrugged. "It's fine."

A loud sigh was Hunter's response. He leaned his side against the counter and folded his arms across his chest. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She turned back to the dishes and started scrubbing at the skillet.

"Stephanie," Hunter sighed again. "You were fine like ten minutes ago and now you're acting weird. Tell me what's wrong."

Deciding that she couldn't look him directly in the eyes and simply tell half of the truth, she kept her gaze on her task. "Today was supposed to be relaxing family fun day. It started well, then went down the toilet and…I don't know…being with you these last couple of hours was making up for the crappy part. And this is your first night back home, sleeping under the same roof as the kids. They were looking forward to you being here to tuck them in…and I thought tonight would be kind of…"

"Just us and the kids?" He asked.

"Well, yeah."

"Steph, they'll be fine. Howard doesn't live out here; this is kind of our territory. It's important that we make him feel welcomed and just as important as we would any other visiting family member. I can tuck the kids in any night. We don't know how long Howard will stay."

Fighting the urge to roll her eyes at the fact that Howard only lived a couple of hours away, Stephanie nodded instead. The last thing she wanted was for Hunter to go off on his "you don't consider him family" rant again. She'd narrowly averted marital crisis with that earlier. She turned to Hunter and faked a reassuring smile as she rubbed his arm. "You're right. Where are you guys headed off to?" She glanced over at the kitchen clock. "You've already eaten and it's already past eight."

"We're going to a bar near his hotel."

Stephanie's forehead crinkled and she shook her head. "But you don't drink," she pointed out.

Hunter shrugged. "He does. I wanna do what I can to help him feel comfortable integrating into the family."

"How is that going to help, considering none of us drink on a regular basis? What are you gonna do, have him get accustomed to getting plastered in front of you, then bring him to dinner where he won't be doing that in front of the kids?"

"I'm just trying to meet him halfway, Steph."

"Halfway? You're going more than halfway, Hunter. You're leaving your family on your first night back to go drive into Stamford and hang out at some bar when you're not even a drinker."

Suddenly feeling defensive, Hunter inhaled deeply. "And whose fault is it that it's my first night back, huh? I don't recall having much of a choice in that department."

Stephanie narrowed her eyes at him before throwing the wash cloth into the dishwater. She laughed resentfully. "I knew you weren't over it."

"I am over it, Steph. I'm not holding it against you-"

"Could've sure as hell fooled me."

Ignoring her sarcasm, he continued. "I'm just stating a fact. You want me to feel guilty for not being here to tuck the kids in and hang out with you because it's the first night I'll be home…but I wasn't the one who wanted to leave. It's not my fault that I haven't been here to kiss you all goodnight. And just _maybe _when you forgive yourself for that, you'll stop being ridiculous about me hanging out with the brother I just found out about."

"You know what?" She glanced to the side and gestured at the few dishes that were left and those that still occupied the drying rack. "I mostly did the dishes, since you were so engrossed in brotherly talk. You can finish them and then you can go watch your brother drink himself into oblivion. Join him in that, for all I care. How's that?" She asked rudely.

Hunter shrugged and picked up the towel, beginning his task immediately. "Fine by me."

Stephanie's temper led the way from the kitchen and into the living room. Stomping around helped cool the harsh edges of her anger and by the time she reached the sectional leather couch, she was calm enough that the kids wouldn't notice. She plopped down between Jackson and the armrest and laid her head down on her forearm.

In the kitchen, Hunter's frustration was being taken out on the task of cleaning. He scrubbed with vigor and force and was practically slamming cupboards closed while he put dishes away. He'd already texted Howard back with a meeting time. He was very much looking forward to it. Not just because he wanted to spend time with his brother, but because Stephanie was obviously spoiling for a fight.

She hadn't handled the situation with her parents the way she'd wanted to, plus she was still feeling guilty about the non-existent adultery situation. So her guilt came out in the form of her seeking some form of punishment. She wanted him to be angry, wanted him to say something mean to her. Not only would it ease her conscience at the fact he'd forgiven her so easily, but it would also allow her to express the anger that had her parents' names written all over it.

Call him crazy that he didn't exactly want to oblige her. Not tonight. Not when he had another option.

He finished up in the kitchen and grabbed his keys from the hook. He jingled them in his hands as he walked through to the living room. Each child got a kiss on the cheek. "Hey guys. I'm gonna say goodnight now, cause I'm heading out to hang out with your new uncle. I won't be here when you go to sleep."

"Your twin?" Karmina asked excitedly.

"Yeah," Hunter confirmed with a smile.

"Cool!" Kaycee exclaimed.

"When do we meet him, Dad?" Jack asked.

At this question, Hunter noticed, Stephanie suddenly took an interest. She glanced up at him with eyes that were just as curious as their children's. "Soon," he replied simply.

Jackson shrugged, wanting to get back to the movie. "Cool. Night, Dad."

Karmina and Kaycee took their lead from their older brother, giving their father a wave before turning back to the television.

Hunter looked down for a moment, locking eyes with Stephanie. She looked like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. He gave her a small smile and said his goodnight with a simple nod. He exited the living room and went back into the kitchen, intending to take that route to the garage.

As soon as his hand touched the doorknob, he felt Stephanie touch his shoulder. "Wait," she requested softly. "We said we'd never go to bed mad with each other," she began before pausing for a moment. "And since I'll probably go to bed before you get back…are you mad at me?"

Hunter turned around and stared deep into her eyes. Eyes that practically bared her soul if you were paying enough attention. "I'm not mad at you," he clarified without further explanation.

Stephanie nodded and licked her dry lips. "I'm sorry for my behavior, baby. A lot has happened in the last few days. I guess I'm still kind of navigating around…processing it all. It's been an emotional roller coaster."

Hunter nodded at her explanation. He understood perfectly because it had been the same thing for him, just from a different perspective. "I know."

Stephanie glanced down at the floor for a moment, feeling like she hadn't made one bit of progress with the wall that was now up between them. "The one thing that stays constant through all the crazy twists and turns is that I love you…more than anything. I think I'm just a little thrown off because I was counting on having you here tonight to kind of stabilize my haywire emotions."

Hunter chuckled a little bit, finally feeling his guard begin to drop. He put his hands on top of her shoulders and leaned down, pressing his lips against her forehead tenderly. "I'm glad that I can do that for you."

"Sorry for being such a brat," she mumbled into his neck as she embraced him in a hug.

"And combative," he chimed in. "Don't forget combative," he said lightly. "In all seriousness, though. I have to apologize to you. It was unfair for me to throw the separation in your face like that."

"I pushed you to it."

"You did. But that doesn't make it all right. You probably feel guilty enough and now I've gone and added to it."

Deciding that that was enough mush for now, Stephanie pulled back from him. This conversation was doing some good…but not a lot. Not when she wasn't giving the full explanation for her actions and he wasn't picking up on it on his own. She had to remind herself that it was utterly pointless to reveal what her instincts were telling her. No, if Howard would go on to cause trouble, Hunter needed to find that out on his own. She had to let him go tonight. Without any of the guilt-strings attached. "I'll live," she dismissed with a smirk. "I know Howard is waiting on you." She opened the garage door for him and playfully began to push him out. "So go. Have fun."

Hunter smiled at her as he walked backwards to his SUV. He blew her a kiss as he hopped into the driver's seat.

Twenty minutes later, Hunter was sitting in the passenger's seat of his brother's sporty car. From the outside, it really didn't seem like this small car should be able to hold not one, but two men of their massive size. But somehow it did.

The brother's hadn't carried on much conversation so far. Howard had been waiting for Hunter in front of his hotel, with his key already in the ignition. As soon as Hunter got in, Howard turned on the car and thusly his blaringly loud rock music. The music wasn't bad at all; just hard and loud. The car ride had lasted for about five minutes, when Howard suddenly pulled over to a curb housing a valet area.

They walked into the establishment after showing their ID's to security and were immediately met with music that was as almost as loud as the music that had been playing in the car. Hunter tilted his head to the side as he surveyed the scene.

_Stage, _he thought. _Odd for a bar. _They walked farther into the semi-crowded venue and scored a seat that was almost directly in the middle. When Hunter got settled, he looked up to see Howard grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Hunter couldn't help but grin back. "What?" He asked.

Howard simply shook his head and directed his attention to the stage.

"And now coming to the stage…Angel!" A DJ announced loudly.

Hunter's eyes went wide and he looked around, feeling panicked. Finally he noticed the gleaming, silvery strip poles planted strategically in various places on the stage and around the room.

"A strip club?" He asked Howard. "You brought me to a strip club? Oh my God, Stephanie is going to kill me for lying to her," he muttered.

Howard shrugged and gave a good-natured laugh. "What lie? I do believe I see a bar," he pointed across the room, "right over there. You're clear."

"Yeah I'm clear until you add in the factor of naked women," Hunter disagreed, gesturing wildly to the stripper named Angel.

"Aww, there, there." Howard slapped Hunter on the back. "I'll just never understand why hot women get all insecure about other hot women." He shook his head in confusion before perking up and gesturing for the server to head their way.

"She's not insecure about it. But strip clubs just aren't my thing. I mean I'll go if it's a special occasion like a birthday or bachelor party and she doesn't care."

"Dude, this is your first hang out with your brother. This is the fucking granddaddy of special!" He declared. He winked as their server came over.

Howard surveyed the woman quickly. She was perhaps a full foot shorter than he and Hunter were, but made up for it with generous…assets. Her hair was jet black and had been crinkled to perfection. Her bright, white, straight smile reached her brown eyes when she noticed that there were two of them. "What can I get for you boys?"

Howard leaned forward on his forearms and smiled. "Well," he glanced above her chest and read her nametag, "Ally, I think we'll take two shots of whiskey."

Hunter held up his hand, "I don't drink."

Howard waved his hand dismissively. "Eh. Don't tell me the old ball and chain is against you drinking, too."

"What the– she's not even against strip…" Hunter let out a frustrated breath. And he decided what the hell why not indulge? "Fine. Make mine a double."

Howard slapped both hands down on the table and yelled, "Yeah, that's what I'm talking about!"

Hunter laughed for a moment before turning his attention to Angel the stripper. She was the polar opposite of Stephanie – dark eyes, light hair, a few piercings and tattoos…but she was still attractive.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ten dollar bill. He balled it up and threw it onstage.

If Stephanie was going to kill him in the morning, he'd damn well better live it up tonight.

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><p><strong>AN**: PHEW! THAT is the chapter I was trying to hard to get to...where Howard comes back into the picture. I know it seems like a while since he's been in this one...but really it's only been two days LOL. I've tried to update this back-to-back simply so we can move on. Seriously, ever since chapter 9 this story hasn't moved forward time-wise very much. So this one will at the very least, take us into the next day.

It's awfully long just because I didn't want to break this up into two chapters, lengthening the amount of chapters devoted to one day.

I hope you guys enjoyed this (thank you Nicole, Liz and Mary for reviewing that last chapter!) I'm glad you all enjoyed the bit with Marissa! I'd wanted to do that with her in a fic and this one seemed perfect for it! I value you guys' and the others' feedback a lot...so please do drop it, I love it!


	19. Adult Decisions

Stephanie wasn't meant to come off as insecure...so my apologies if it seems that way. Her actual issue is her fear that Howard is going to screw over Hunter and/or screw up their family life in general. But since she's afraid that Hunter won't understand that and will resent her for it, she appears to be having crazy mood swings and temper issues. Then she has to try to come up with a rational explanation while leaving out the truth. So the other things are factors, her main issue is that she senses Howard is going to be no good. But her behavior and comments will obviously create problems anyway :-D. Thanks for the reviews, guys! I love it...and as you can see I definitely find the motivation to write up another chapter and post it ASAP...so keep it up I'm loving it! ENJOY!

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><p>Stephanie put her duplicates to bed as soon as the movie was over. She allowed Jack to play video games for half an hour and then off he went, too. Normally when there was school the next day, the kids were put to bed shortly after eight. But because of the way their sweet pool party idea had turned out because of their grandparents, she and Hunter had decided to be somewhat lenient. Jack got extra time simply because he was older.<p>

To be on time for school, Hunter woke the kids up at seven in the morning and they were out of the house at eight. Stephanie's position was salaried, but she always tried to be at work by nine. On the rare occasion she couldn't make that happen, the absolute last time she would wander in was ten. If she was going to be any later than that, she opted to come in around lunchtime and work half a day or she just worked from home.

On her way to sleep she had wondered when Hunter was coming home and how on earth he was going to get up in time to get the kids off to school. She wanted to text him, asking exactly that…but she refrained. She had never been the type to nag her husband.

Then again, she never felt like she had to be. Hunter was a smart guy and dedicated to his family and the responsibilities he'd volunteered for. He knew that tomorrow was a school day and if he chose to stay out until dawn, that was on him. It wasn't like he'd asked her to handle getting their children to class on time.

It was with these nonchalant, yet snarky thoughts that she'd lifted her head to glance at the digital clock on the nightstand one last time. As the time changed to midnight, her eyes went bleary and she'd fallen lax against her pillow.

A combination of low and high pitched barks initially woke her up. Blindly, her left hand reached out to Hunter's side of the bed and she found that the sheets were still cold. She opened her eyes and sat up in bed, running a hand through her disheveled hair. She threw her long legs from under the covers and dragged herself from the bed. While she threw on her favorite, carnation, silk robe, she noticed that it was nearly two in the morning.

With a shake of her head, she shuffled along the hallway. It was a saving grace that Jack, Karmina and Kaycee slept harder than she did. Their doors were still shut and she didn't hear a peep from inside their rooms.

"Max! Bailey," she hissed into the darkness as she descended the staircase.

Max whined lowly before Stephanie heard his paws rushing across the marble floor to her. Stephanie crouched on the bottom step when she reached it, with Max colliding into her legs. He turned in front of her a few times, at the excitement of having an intruder and because Stephanie was rubbing his head.

Bailey stayed where she was, her unintimidating bark coming from the direction of the front door of the house. Aside from the bark, she could hear muffled talking.

For Stephanie it felt like déjà vu. Except that this time, Hunter wasn't here to see what was amiss. And this time she also had three children sleeping peacefully upstairs.

Instead of heading to the front door, Stephanie – with Max by her side – wandered through the foyer and into the kitchen. With the moonlight shining through the windows illuminating her way, she headed over to their cutlery selection, pulling a huge, sharp knife from its holder. She'd already determined that this wasn't Hunter. He would have parked in the garage and used that entrance. He wouldn't have parked elsewhere, only to fumble around with the door in the darkness.

Feeling considerably more confident now that she was armed, she exited the kitchen on the opposite way she'd come in, heading into the living room.

She stood in the doorway, her hand ready to flip on the switch to the light at any given moment. She inhaled deeply as she heard the doorknob turning and saw the door creaking open.

The door opened fully and Stephanie flipped the switch, already preparing to run forward with the knife as she yelled, in accordance with the dogs barking.

A man's yell was her greeting and Stephanie let the knife drop from her fingers and to the floor as she recognized him.

"Howard?" She asked, narrowing her eyes. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Having a heart attack while trying not to be stabbed by you and bit by your dogs," was his snippy remark.

Another question was making its way out, but died in her throat while she watched Howard emerge fully and come into the house. Hunter's arms were hanging at his sides limply, his head lolling forward and his blonde hair halfway out of its ponytail.

She ran over to them, her eyes wide and panicked. "Oh my God! What happened to him?" She threw her arm around the other side of Hunter and helped Howard practically drag him over to the couch and lay him down.

"Bailey, Max, go!" She commanded when she noticed Max leering at Howard and Bailey about to jump on the couch on top of Hunter.

Both pets whined and headed for the home office where their beds were, rather than going outside where they usually stayed.

Howard stood upright and rubbed his neck nervously. "He ah…bit too much to drink tonight," he answered honestly.

Stephanie looked down at Hunter, shaking her head in disapproval. She would most definitely end up taking the kids to school now. Hunter didn't look like he'd even be able to make it upstairs to their bed, let alone get three kids ready in a few short hours. She sighed loudly and fidgeted with the belt of the robe, tying it tighter. "I see."

Foreseeing absolute disaster, Stephanie quickly made her way into the kitchen, grabbing the small waste basket they kept under the sink. She put it near his head, just in case he needed to throw up.

"How'd you get in the gate and all?" She asked.

"Found the address on Hunter's driver's license. He's not completely passed out, you know. Some slaps to the face and he told me the code. Other than that he's dead-weight."

Stephanie raised her eyebrows quickly. "Yep, noticed that."

"I'm not dead," Hunter chimed in from the couch.

Howard and Stephanie turned to look at him. He stared at them in disapproval, through his heavily lidded eyes.

"She's angry," Hunter observed. "And cute," he added. "Angry and cute," he repeated with a chuckle before turning to lie on his stomach, letting his left arm hang from the couch and to the floor.

Howard clapped his hands together after trying and failing to hide his amusement. He swayed slightly, from the abrupt movement. "All right! Tell him he can pick his car anytime, will you?"

"Sure," she agreed before walking with him to the door. "Thanks for bringing him home, Howard."

Her husband's twin nodded and headed down the walkway. Stephanie closed the door and locked it.

She walked back over to the couch and sat down beside Hunter. She poked him in the shoulder. "Hey," she said.

A muffled grunt was his reply to her. He shifted slowly until he was finally able to lay on his back, with his head in her lap.

Despite the fact that she was incredibly irritated with him, she mostly held it back. She was more concerned for his health and well-being than anything else. "Hunter?" She asked.

His tongue inched out a little bit, to wet his dry lips. "Huh?"

"Are you okay? Do you need me to get you anything?"

Against her thighs, he shook his head from left to right quickly. He opened his eyes halfway and said, "Ouch."

"Ouch?" She asked.

Hunter pointed at his temple. "That hurt my head," he said before shutting his eyes again.

Now was not the time to ask serious questions that needed thoughtful answers. But she couldn't help herself. "Baby, what were you thinking drinking so much?" She asked, removing the band and smoothing down his messy hair.

Hunter's shoulders lifted in a shrug. "Dunno," he replied. "Bonding?" He tried, with another shrug.

"Bonding?" She repeated, to make sure she heard him right. "Really now? And just what did you learn about Howard during this boozing session?"

The left side of Hunter's mouth curved up in a smirk. "He can outdrink me. Lots."

It suddenly dawned on Stephanie that Howard hadn't been sober either. It was good of him to not let Hunter try to drive himself home. But their drunken carpooling could've turned out equally as bad. She was thankful that it hadn't, but that was a sheer miracle. She just couldn't believe the two of them were so incredibly careless and reckless. Whoever said two heads were better than one clearly hadn't met these particular two. She'd have to have Hunter call his brother and make sure he made it to his hotel in one piece.

Stephanie grazed her teeth over her bottom lip, the various scenarios of what could have happened playing out in her head. "Do you realize how bad this could have gone, Hunter? You could've been in a car accident, robbed…lying dead in a ditch somewhere."

Hunter's eyes opened again, his eyebrows drawing together in confusion. "I'm not. I'm here."

Ignoring her wasted spouse, she continued anyway. "How can you just risk your life like that? Did you even stop to think about how it would affect me if something bad happened to you?"

Hunter blinked at her. "Nah uh," he confirmed. "Dead anyway." He closed his eyes again and settled further into her lap.

"Dead anyway? What does that mean?"

Whatever coherence Hunter had, left as the alcohol began to make him dizzy and nauseous. "Naked women. Wife kill. Dead anyway, go wild!"

Stephanie shook her head at his incoherent rambling. It was obvious she wasn't going to get anything useful out of him tonight. And by the time the morning rolled around, he'd be feeling like complete crap. Her sympathy would probably win out over her desire to have answers. She laid her head on the armrest, trying to decide whether she would sleep down here with him or head upstairs to their bed.

Hunter rested peacefully, comforted by Stephanie threading her hand through his hair and scalp. Suddenly, the nausea was too much and his eyes shot open and he covered his mouth with his hand, puffing his cheeks out.

He sat up quickly, his eyes rolling backward for a moment from the dizziness. Stephanie sat up, too. She patted his back to get his attention and eagerly pointed at the waste basket. Hunter let himself slump to the floor and he crawled over to the trash can, heaving into it instantly.

Stephanie averted her gaze upward as she rubbed his back, urging him to spill the overage of alcohol. After a few moments, she left his side to go into the kitchen and pour him a cold glass of water.

She came back into the living room and reclaimed her seat on the couch. Hunter was sitting down next to the trash can, with his head lying on his forearm on the couch. When Stephanie sat down, he lifted his head.

Hunter reached out and accepted the water with a grateful smile. He swished it around and spit it out before taking a few generous gulps.

A light bulb went off in Stephanie's head. "You went to a strip club?" She asked loudly. "You lied to me?"

Before she could stop herself, she smacked her husband on the shoulder.

Hunter choked on his water – partially because he was drunk and loopy and partially from shock. He coughed and sputtered, spitting out more water. "What?"

"You lied to me and went to a strip club, jerk," she repeated.

Already feeling better because he'd expelled some of the whiskey and combatted his dehydration, he sighed. "Didn't lie. Didn't know," he corrected.

"What do you mean you didn't know?"

"Said we were going to a bar. Didn't know it was a strip club til we got there."

_I knew it! Nothing but trouble, _Stephanie thought, but held back from saying that. This would hardly be enough for Hunter to take her worries seriously. Not when her husband had made the decision to stay at the club and apparently drink himself stupid. "All right," she said nonchalantly.

"All right?" Hunter asked skeptically, looking up at her. He'd expected a stronger reaction than this. It was why he had decided to go all out tonight.

Stephanie nodded and stood up from the couch. "Yep. All right. You're an adult; you can make your own decisions. You decided to stay there and I'm pretty sure no one held a gun to your head and made you drink so much."

Hunter opened his mouth and started to protest, but couldn't think of anything to say because Stephanie was entirely right. "Steph," he sighed.

She drew her bottom lip in and held up a hand to silence him. "I'm an adult, too. So I'm going to make the decision to sleep upstairs. If you manage to stumble your way to our bed by yourself, fine. If not I'll see you in the morning."

He nodded solemnly. "Can you take the kids to-" he started to say.

"What choice do I have? Your car is in freaking Stamford! So I guess after I drop them off I'll have to take you over there to get it because I'm damn sure not waking up earlier than absolutely necessary since my sleep was so rudely interrupted."

Hunter tried a small smile, but knew it wouldn't help the situation really. The bottom line was that he had screwed up big time. "Thank you."

Stephanie turned and headed for the foyer. "Whatever," she called out to him before making her way up the stairs.


	20. Perspective

Here I am, back to cause mischief in the land of fic. Hope that you all enjoy this one - lots of fighting! The foundation is being rapidly laid for what you'll see in later chapters. I decided to update this one to get myself back in gear, because it was the easiest. No idea what's coming out next, LOL.

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><p>Stephanie sighed as the twins' school got smaller and smaller in her rearview mirror. This day was off to a crappy start. Not that she was all that surprised. As soon as Hunter had literally come dragging in during the wee hours of the morning, she knew nothing would go smoothly. She just didn't know how much farther downhill things were bound to go.<p>

In her mind, Hunter should have occupied the passenger seat while she dropped the kids off. Then she was planning to take him to his car and then head off to work. That plan was dead in the water, given the sluggish, hungover state her husband was in when she woke him up at a quarter past seven.

When he groaned and sat up on the couch, his bleary and bloodshot eyes had told her quite a bit. When he slumped against the cushions, rubbing at his temples that had told her even more. But like the mature adult, good wife and loving mother that she wanted to continue being, she'd stifled her anger and frustration. She'd held her tongue because she knew that if she started in on him she might say something that she shouldn't. Something that the kids might overhear.

And what would yelling, arguing and cursing accomplish anyway? It wouldn't magically make Hunter feel better physically.

Her day was screwed up. That was the obvious conclusion. All she could do from here was roll with the changes and try to make the best of it.

She'd explained the jacked up state of their father by just saying he was tired and sick. Not wanting to lie, she'd said that it must have been something that he ate or drank while out with Howard. She'd said that if their Dad felt better later, he might pick them up. That's what she said; inwardly she wasn't at all counting on that.

To make sure she had a back-up plan she had decided to work from home. If Hunter seemed to be doing better in a few hours, she would go in and work half a day at the office. If not, she'd just do everything from the house.

Either way, she had to drive him to his car. The crux of the matter was at what time she would be getting that done.

How she would stay home all day with Hunter and not resort to strangling him, she had no idea. But she was going to try. For composure, she gripped her steering wheel and took a deep breath to take the edge off of her mood.

She kept reminding herself that doing what she could to get her family through this day was priority one. Helping Hunter feel better was more important than letting him know what an irresponsible dipshit he had been the night before. Surely he already knew that. Piling on the guilt wouldn't help anything.

Finally, she exited her SUV and walked over to the door the led into the kitchen. She sat her purse on the counter and wandered into the living room.

Hunter had taken a pillow, put it against the armrest and was lying against it with his forearm thrown over his face. The tv was on, with the volume rather low. As Hunter heard her footsteps draw closer, he moved his arm from over his eyes and peeked in her direction.

"Hi," he said meekly.

"Hi," Stephanie returned without looking at him. She grabbed herself a pillow from the basket next to the entertainment center and padded over to the chaise lounge. She grabbed her work laptop from the floor and leaned back into her pillow.

Uncomfortably, Hunter shifted against the couch as he waited for some form of conversation to start. But it didn't. He watched as she just turned on her computer and silently waited for the system to boot up.

It was never good when Stephanie bottled her feelings up. Eventually they would come out but her repression would make it even worse.

Stephanie cleared her throat lightly and began clicking away, launching the programs that she needed. "Are you feeling better?" She asked.

"A little. I took an Aleve."

"That's good," she replied neutrally.

Hunter sat up fully and rubbed both hands over his face. Seeing as they just got over marital turmoil and a brief separation, he wasn't exactly keen on going through another extended crisis with her. "Steph, I'm sorry."

"I accept your apology," she said lifelessly as she continued to work.

Hunter gripped his hair briefly, feeling his frustration start to sink in already. With obvious sarcasm he asked, "Anything I can do so that you'll stop being pissed at me?"

"Not really," she answered. She turned her head, finally allowing her eyes to lock with his. Her eyes were beautiful, but currently reminded him of the coldness and hardness of ice cubes. "Until my day ceases to be fucked up, I'm probably still going to be mad." With that, she returned her attention to her computer.

Yes, he had messed up. He'd all but forgotten about his responsibilities and just had a crazy night out on the town. When they first got married, they were no strangers to drunken, wasted nights. They'd had them together, actually. It was something she understood and didn't ever get mad over.

Granted, that stage of their relationship only lasted for about a year and then they'd focused their energies elsewhere. But he deserved _some _props that nothing like this had happened at all since they became parents.

_Right? _He wondered inwardly as he stole another glance in his wife's direction. "You know what, Stephanie? Give me some credit here. Ever since the kids have started school I've been the one taking them to school and picking them up. I get them from their practices and stop to get dinner if we're not cooking. Not you. I mess up _one _time and suddenly none of that matters?"

Stephanie blinked a few times, biting down on her lip for composure. What, was he keeping score now? She never took what he did for their family lightly. But he was acting like she just sat on her ass doing nothing. He picked the kids up because she had an office job and he didn't. Her schedule was supposed to include a full eight hour day and his didn't. He got to spend his day immersed in what he loved - wrestling. He wasn't actively wrestling, but he got to watch it as part of his scouting. Meanwhile she was usually buried in conference calls, contracts, meetings and paperwork.

If a kid was sick, it was Stephanie who took on that extra load. Whether she was at home or the corporate office, her work needed to get done. The load was still the same no matter how she split it up. Having a sick child just meant an extra few tasks added to her day. But she never complained about it. She never tried to make Hunter feel like he wasn't doing his part.

They both knew how to cook, but Hunter was better at preparing meats. She was better at the pasta, rice, vegetables, side dishes and desserts. They both contributed equally to the clean up.

In her opinion, things were rather balanced as far as taking care of the household and kids. But Hunter didn't seem to think so, otherwise he wouldn't be throwing this in her face.

"What do you want, a fucking medal for helping to take care of your own kids? You're supposed to do things for them. We both are. I didn't realize we were ranking the tasks to see who's more involved, you jerk!"

Hunter's face scrunched up. "I'm not ranking anything. I'm just saying. You're blowing this _way _out of proportion just like Howard warned."

Stephanie's jaw dropped in astonishment. "Like Howard warned? Is that what you just said to me?"

"That's exactly what I said!" Hunter affirmed without hesitation. "He called while you were gone to warn me about you making a mountain out of a mole hill, playing the blame game to manipulate stuff and all of that other woman shit," he explained. Hunter sent her a satisfied smirk before crossing his arms over his chest. "So far he's right."

Stephanie shook her head in bewilderment for a moment. "Oh my God!" She yelled in agitation, tugging at her hair. She couldn't believe that this was actually happening. Her husband was really taking relationship and family advice from his bad apple of a brother.

Hunter put his hands up in his defense. "I'm just saying...I've done way more than my part in this family. House stuff and kid stuff is usually what women do. I've done a fair share of both so I deserve to be cut a little slack. That's all," he said seriously. "You're not related to Meryl Streep so just stop being such a damn drama queen. This isn't a big deal."

Stephanie remained completely silent while she tried to sort through her feelings. She was definitely still angry, but at this point hurt and disappointment were beginning to overthrow that feeling. They'd been through a lot in their marriage, particularly in the first three years. She didn't deny that with her temper, she could be a handful. Especially back then. But the one thing Hunter had never done was call her a drama queen. At some point he always realized why she was feeling the way that she was, even if he didn't agree. He'd just reassure her that in the future they'd be better and soon after, they moved forward.

Why he would want to wreck that record based on advice from someone she saw as a boy in a man's body, she had no idea. Nothing that he'd said to her in the last couple of minutes was how he usually talked to or felt about her. This was totally new and had Howard written all over it.

And she didn't like this one damn bit. Was the opinion of a brother he literally just met, really more important than her feelings? Than their connection? She'd been the one to stand by Hunter through everything - through his highs and lows. Through talking about his past in therapy. Through his transition out of being an active wrestler.

Howard and Hunter didn't know of each other at the time, so it was no one's fault that he hadn't been there. But it didn't seem fair that she'd worked at their closeness for nearly a decade and Hunter let Howard walk right in and make him doubt it in all of two days. What the hell did Howard know about their marriage? He hadn't been around nor had he ever even had a serious relationship. He knew nothing about family responsibility - he'd left the family that raised him and had no interest in starting his own.

The harshest edge of her irritation had left. His comments had effectively calmed her down in that regard. But in its place a gaping wound was beginning to form. She was trying her hardest to understand and rationalize the situation. But she was failing. Quite simply, she just expected more out of her husband. He was her partner and best friend; the person that she trusted most in the world. The person that was directly involved in thoughts of the future.

Literally, he was a big part of the foundation of her life. Which is why she ceased to function properly when she thought he had been unfaithful to her. The details of the last week or so had been rooted in happenstance. A twin he hadn't known about.

But this? This was actually going down. He was making active decisions that were negatively affecting their life together. Why couldn't he see that?

"I had to try to explain to our kids why you were sprawled out on the couch and unable to take them to school. I had to explain why you might not be able to pick them up. I have to work from home today so that I can get you to your car and possibly be prepared to get the kids from school. I don't get what is happening here. _Your _decision to get hammered at a strip club you weren't even supposed to be at, has messed up _my _entire day and yet you're acting like I'm the bad guy here. Like I should just shut up and get over it because I'm a female and am supposed to take care of the house and kids by myself? You and your brother - the brother you _just _met have decided I'm just the stereotypical, irrational woman having a bitch fit for no reason whatsoever."

"I didn't say that," Hunter disagreed. "Stop putting words in my mouth."

"Blowing things out of proportion, playing the 'blame game' and being a drama queen? Sounds like a bitch fit to me."

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph," Hunter sighed before throwing his arms up. "Can we just forget it? Just forget last night, this morning and whatever the fuck this conversation has turned into!" Upon seeing the unreadable expression on his wife's face, he took a deep breath and chewed on his bottom lip momentarily. "I don't want to fight with you," he said wearily.

Stephanie pushed the laptop aside and stood up. "I never want to fight with you," she countered. "But after all this time together I don't understand how your feelings about my personality and our roles in this marriage have done a total one-eighty overnight."

Hunter's eyebrows drew together while he shook his head. "They haven't."

"Then what is going on here?" She asked loudly, taking a few steps towards him. "What's up with the sudden disrespect and acting like what I say and feel is just woman craziness?"

Hunter clapped his hands together and moved to stand up and face Stephanie. "I didn't disrespect you, Steph. You're blowing this-"

Stephanie held up a hand and chuckled lowly before averting her gaze upward. "If you say I'm blowing it out of proportion one more time, so help me God I will leave this house, go to work and you'll have to take the bus or something to get to your car!"

He kept his mouth closed and reached out to rub her arm. "Look...I love you. Okay? But when shit happens you're the only person I can really talk about it with. If it's _about _you, I just have to keep it in for the most part. Shawn and Kev have their own stuff to deal with. It's cool to have someone who's got my best interests at heart and the free time to give me some insight."

Damn him for saying he loved her and for touching her all affectionately. He was making it difficult to stay upset. Especially when she somewhat understood his explanation. "I know you love me," she confirmed. "And you know that I love you." Because she just couldn't resist it, she rubbed his stubbly cheek for a few moments. "Here's a novel idea, Hunter: when you have a problem with me, talk to me about it. That's the way it's been for the past 6 years. It's been working; it doesn't have to change," she reasoned. "And you might want to consider your source. Howard has Howard's interests at heart. Do you honestly think he's going to care if his shitty advice ends up wrecking this marriage?"

"It's not shitty advice. Just a different perspective."

Stephanie chose not to point out that out of everything she just said, that's the part that stuck out in his memory. He seriously was blind to the damage that listening to Howard could do in the long run. "Well it's a _stupid_ perspective," she said lowly.

Looking as if she'd said the most insulting thing in the world to him, he backed up a few paces. "What, so any opinion different from yours is stupid? That's immature, Stephanie."

"Are you seriously going to start getting relationship advice from someone who doesn't get into relationships, sees marriage as the end of having the right to bang random skanks, sees kids as a block to doing what you want when you want and just in general sees having close ties as messing with his freedom? If that's how you see life, I guess he's the perfect person to listen to," she said sarcastically.

Hunter shrugged. "We don't have to see life the same way for some of his opinions to be useful."

Stephanie turned away from him and went back over to the chaise lounge. She closed her laptop, unplugged it and tucked the thin notebook under her arm. She briefly glanced at Hunter as she walked past him and towards the staircase. "For the sake of this marriage and our kids, I hope you're right about that."

Hunter's eyes stayed trained on her retreating form. Howard knew women. There was no doubt about that. His brother never failed to get any and everything he wanted out of them. And there was never a mess left behind in his wake. His way of handling things left everyone satisfied. "I am right," he mumbled to himself before plopping back down onto the couch. He glanced at the bottle of Aleve and half-drained glass of water. His head was on the verge of swimming yet again thanks to their little spat. "Women," he said under his breath before reaching for the items.

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><p>Loved it? Hated it? Drop your thoughts :-D<p> 


	21. Advantages

Liz and punkrockgirl98 (this one's for you since you've been telling me to update it LOL)...welcome! Glad to know you and the other readers (my girls...you know who you are lol) are enjoying this one and glad to see it back.

Okay...I finished this at like 3am and wordpad has no spell check so my apologies if anything is typed wrong. Originally this thing was 3700 words. I decided that was ridiculous and to split up the chapter/scenes so you all can take everything in.

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><p>"I feel for you, bro. That's gotta be rough. From what you tell me about the McMahon family and all the drama and scheming, I'm not surprised she won that round. But you're forgetting the advantage you've got..." Howard said.<p>

Hunter rubbed at his temple trying to rid himself of the last remnants of the headache. The fact that it had been almost three hours since the last time he saw or directly heard from Stephanie surely wasn't helping. From downstairs he could hear her whenever she engaged in a business call. She was friendly and pleasant to her colleagues. It was a far cry to how she'd been during their argument.

"Yeah?" He asked. "What's that?"

"That she pegged you as a liar and cheater, slapped you, insulted you and then kicked you out of your own house even though you didn't do anything."

"How's that an advantage?"

Howard sighed. His brother simply didn't realize the power that he held as the man of the house. Stephanie and the kids probably ran the whole show. He didn't know enough about children to be of use there. But he could get him to get the wife under better control being that he knew so much about women and the way they operated. "Anytime she gives you shit, you can just push that little button. Just remind her what happened and she'll feel bad and back off."

Hunter pulled the phone away from his ear for a moment and stared at it. "But I forgave her," he pointed out.

Howard snorted. "I don't see how. I mean jeez. I get quite a bit of ass and I'm not even a celebrity." Leaning back against the lounge chair, he rubbed his beard and reconsidered. "Well...maybe I get so lucky because chicks are mistaking me for you."

"Ya think?" Hunter asked sarcastically.

Howard shrugged even though Hunter couldn't see it. "Doesn't matter...sure some of them weren't wrestling fans. Anyways...point is you could have had hundreds...maybe thousands of chicks under your belt by now. But instead you stuck with her - even after the three kids."

"Okay," Hunter said slowly. "First off, I never had a desire to screw that many random women. Second off, what the hell is up with the comment about the kids?"

"Most guys take off during pregnancy number one. Or at least after kid one arrives. You guys have three," he pointed out.

"Do you know how stupid that sounds? I married her...and I love her. I wanted the kids just as much as she did. I wouldn't abandon her, certainly not over the fact that we became parents."

"I'm not saying you should have!" Howard immediately clarified, seeing that this was a touchy subject. "I'm just saying you had lots of options. Still do, really. But you're choosing to stay, raise the kids and not sleep around. And since so many guys don't, she should show a bit more appreciation. When she isn't behaving accordingly...just remember your trump card."

"I'll think about it," Hunter finally relented. His brother made some measure of sense. Stephanie said it herself - in front of her whole family - that he was a good man. But for the last few hours she'd been very argumentative with him.

He _did _want this spat to be over with as soon as possible. And he knew that her guilt over kicking him out hadn't totally subsided. He wasn't going to decide about that now. He wouldn't strategize on potential arguments. He'd just do his best to avoid them altogether.

"That might seriously backfire and cause her to make me take the bus to get to my car."

Howard's nose scrunched up. "Seriously?"

"Yup. She threatened me with that earlier."

"Fuck that, man!" Howard said incredulously. "See, she's holding things over your head to get you to do what she wants. Why can't you do the same? I'll come get you and take you to your ride so you don't have to worry about it. Maybe we can even chill for a bit."

"Sounds good, man."

"Cool. Give me about an hour advance notice."

"Gotcha. Later."

Hunter ended the call and leaned his forearms on his knees. His brother had given him quite a bit to consider here. In the last few years he'd felt pleased and happy in his relationship with Stephanie. The dynamic just worked. But then again he never questioned it. He didn't really bounce ideas off of anyone. Everyone he knew except for Howard was in some way connected to her or just knew her very well personally.

Not only were Shawn and Kevin busy navigating their own families and careers...but Kevin was just now learning how to properly function in a relationship. Whereas Shawn had been an instrumental part in Hunter getting Stephanie back by showing him how much of an ass he had been to her 6 years ago. Hunter felt like everything he said to Shawn had to be positive.

Hunter talked about Stephanie as if she was an angel. Like she was just selfless and perfect. But what if he'd just been burying his head in the sand on her true nature this whole time because he was too afraid to have a conflict with her? What if he was just too afraid to lose her again? Was she really running their entire lives, with him along for the ride and ready to do her bidding? Was he merely some puppet of hers?

When she wanted to hurt him, she knew exactly how to do that. As much as he'd like to forget it, he still remembered the jab about his father. She'd apologized for it and he'd forgiven her instantly, desperate to just have them be normal and happy again. But deep down, he was still dealing with everything. He was wondering if it was such a good idea to share such personal things with her in the future. Clearly she wasn't above using his insecurities against him when she was pissed. Even if she was pissed for what turned out to be absolutely nothing.

Pushing off of the couch, Hunter got to his feet. He headed up the stairs at a moderate pace. He wasn't in a hurry, but saw no reason to shuffle along since he was feeling much better.

From the hallway, he could hear Stephanie clicking away on her keyboard. He blew out a breath before stepping through the doorway.

Stephanie was in the corner of the room in their efficient little workspace area. The home office downstairs had all the bells and whistles. But in their bedroom was just a simple desk and chair. It was perfect for light workloads or things involving a laptop.

Seeing his head a blonde hair out of the corner of her eye, Stephanie looked up at him. "Hey," she greeted.

His wife didn't sound angry or irritated. Nor did she sound excited or happy that he was up and about. He stopped walking and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Hey," he replied with the same lack of enthusiasm.

Uncomfortably, she cleared her throat as they looked at each other in almost total silence. The only sound was of the computer suddenly beginning to spit out whatever it was that she was printing. Hunter rocked back and forth on his heels casually, not sure if he should just continue on to the bathroom, wait for her to start a conversation or take the liberty of doing so himself. He definitely had a few things to say to her.

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><p>Anyone want to strangle Howard yet? Hunter? Both? lol.<p>

Feed me reviews :-D


	22. The Taming of Stephanie

LOVED the great and speedy reviews, guys! As my own way of saying thank you I decided to put up the next chapter already! Tons of fighting. Just when it seems to be blowing over it comes from another angle. LOL. Remember the timeline of this fic - Steph's birthday isn't that far away. What a way to lead up to it!

Both of them could use more friends. But what can I say? This follows WWE/F-verse up until the start of Boomerang. So them not being on great terms with DX and just generally sticking to family and a couple close friends (mostly that they don't see much b/c they don't travel) does follow into this fic. As it stands, I'm thinking I may be able to end it at around 40 chapters. Wish me luck! For some reason with this fic it comes across better to go in detail sometimes having one day take multiple chapters. Just think of how much has gone wrong in that marriage in like 5 days (kicking Hunter out, reconciling, more drama, lol).

Anywho...enjoy!

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><p>Stephanie leaned down and grabbed the papers from the printer. She aligned them perfectly and stapled them together. She laid them on the desk, reached to her left and grabbed a pen from the holder. She scribbled her signature on the last page and sat the document aside. She put the pen back and clasped her hands together.<p>

"Are you feeling better?" She asked, standing up from behind the desk.

"Much. Tiny headache left over but I'm pretty good compared to earlier."

Stephanie cracked a dry smile. "Yeah, you looked and sounded like shit when I woke you this morning. This is a definite improvement."

Hunter smiled back at her, feeling a bit more at ease because she was joking around with him again. "Thanks," he told her sarcastically.

"Hunter...can I -" she hesitated and stopped to wring her hands nervously, "I want to ask you a serious question and get an honest answer."

Hunter nodded. "Shoot." Taking his hands out of his pockets, he folded them across his chest instead.

Stephanie thought about the last few days of their lives. All of the drama and the pain. Stephanie's pain had been based on an imaginary situation. She'd basically caused the drama and wound up being a jerk to her husband.

She understood Howard's new position in Hunter's life. And even though Stephanie felt that he was an awful influence on anyone who sought guidance from him, the fact of the matter was that Hunter was an adult.

They'd been married for nearly nine years and had been to hell and back with each other. She felt happy with their relationship before these recent events...and Hunter had seemed to be happy as well. But it's possible that she was mistaken or simply projecting. Howard couldn't _make _Hunter do anything. The desire, feelings or predisposition had to have already been there in some way. Maybe this was the way her husband truly felt and he just hadn't been telling her for whatever reason.

"I've given it some thought in these last couple of hours...and well. I wanna know why you drank so much."

Hunter sighed and threw his arms in the air, before slapping them against his jean-clad thighs. "Not this again," he said.

Stephanie held up her hands in apology. "I know...I know. You said bonding. But Hunter I've never seen you that wasted. Ever. Not even when we partied together when we first got married. I never heard any stories from DX about you throwing up and being literally dragged home."

Hunter shrugged. "So I got a little carried away. It was a different situation, Steph. I found out I had a twin...we decided to party it up. What is your point?"

Anger would get her nowhere, she reminded herself. She had to stay calm and suppress the temper that just wanted to come bubbling out. She had to keep her head clear and just dig for the truth. That might be harder than expected if Hunter didn't even know what the full story of his behavior was. He definitely wouldn't lie to her so that meant it was either a truth he wasn't aware of or that she was totally mistaken. "So you actually decided to get piss-faced drunk?"

"Pretty much."

"Hunter," she sighed. "I know you. If you'd have thought that far ahead you'd have made arrangements that didn't involve abandoning your truck and having your drunk brother drive you home and carry you in at 2am." He was much too intelligent for that. It was why he'd been called the "Cerebral Assassin" in the wrestling world.

Hunter puffed his cheeks out, unable to deny that she had a good point. Maybe if he walked her through the night...the part that he remembered fluidly she'd understand better. "All right so we get into the bar, take a seat. I hear the DJ announce someone coming to the stage and that's when I realized we were in a strip joint. I was kinda freaking out a little bit...I knew you'd think I'd lied to you on where I was going."

Stephanie shrugged and tilted her head from left to right. He'd nailed that one.

"Howard's trying to make me relax, pointing out that there is an actual bar in there so it's not a total lie. And that he didn't understand why hot women got insecure over other hot women."

It was an active fight to keep from rolling her eyes, but she continued to listen intently. Kevin's bachelor party had been at a strip club and she was totally cool with it. It was for a good reason. And she trusted her husband completely. At least until this whole mistaken identity thing.

"I told him you're not insecure, you don't care if I go for a special occasion He says our first hang out was the tops of special. So our server comes along and Howard orders us whiskey shots. I tell him I don't drink and he asks if the 'old ball and chain' was against that, too."

She would not berate Howard. She would not. Even if he was a total dick, he was still her husband's brother. _God, _she thought. He was actually her brother-in-law. He was actually a full-fledged member of their family now. Sending him back to where he came from wasn't an option. Especially not with Hunter's sensitivity for the guy.

"It pissed me off...that he assumed you were some kind of control freak."

Both of Stephanie's eyebrows rose. Abrupt laughter passed her lips before she could stop it. Oh, this was rich. "So...you're telling me you got hammered as a way to - to what? Defend my honor?"

"No. Mine," Hunter interjected. He felt the heat rising to his cheeks from anger already. Leave it to his wife to make his actions sound ridiculous. "You don't run this family, Stephanie," he informed her sternly. "And you damn sure don't run me! I can do what I want when I want. If I want to drink myself stupid I'll do just that."

Stephanie screwed her forehead up in confusion. "Are you even listening to yourself? Before this last week and barring the first year of our marriage, the only time we ever drink is to celebrate something. We never get completely wasted. You pick last night to get passed out-throwing up drunk and expect me to-"

"We, we we!" He interrupted snidely. "I'm an individual, Steph! I have my own shit going on."

Stephanie briefly shook her head in disbelief. What was currently happening and why? It seriously sounded like he was trying to purposely distance himself from her or something. Yes, they each had separate interests and friends. But somehow they always merged the two groups one way or another. She tried to take an interest in the things he liked and in the side hobbies he would develop from time to time. But she didn't intrude on his space or try to take it over. If they spent every waking moment together, there'd be absolutely nothing to discuss at home. They'd stop growing as people and as a couple. Neither of them wanted that to happen, so they balanced things out.

"I've never tried to deny you your individuality, Hunter!"

Hunter was too involved in his rant and outrage to hear what she said. "You think that just because you're a damn McMahon the sun rises and sets as you see fit. And everyone else has to just bend and cave to whatever the hell you want...it's all about what you need and feel? Newsflash: it doesn't work that way, Princess!"

A lightbulb went off in Stephanie's head. Of course. Her family and their manipulations could be the root of this. "Hunter, listen to me. That's not what I think at all. You know that Shane basically raised me. I spent the majority of high school and college trying to get out of the shadow of my family. The name McMahon doesn't mean much to me anymore. That's where I came from but it's not where my future is at. When Jack was born I told you I wanted to drop my maiden name."

Hunter nodded at her. The tension on his face hadn't relaxed much, but he did feel his heart warm at the memory of their first child being born.

"I said I wanted to give you one-hundred percent of me. I've done that as best as I can, Hunter. What's best for you and the kids comes first. That's why I was so upset with my mother and father yesterday. Screw them; they haven't changed their ways much. But I have...I don't think or act like they do. I'm not trying to control you. In fact I very much like it when you take charge," she informed him.

One side of Hunter's mouth twitched upwards. "Is that right?" He asked, rubbing his thin beard.

The gutter. That's where his mind had gone, she knew. But she wasn't solely talking about sex. She liked it when he had input and ideas on how to handle things. She loved it when she could come to him for guidance, advice and direction.

"Absolutely," she confirmed. "I want us to be our own people otherwise we'll get bored. We each _can _do whatever we want when we feel like it. But before acting, each of us should think about how it's gonna affect our family. You clearly didn't do that last night."

One step forward and two steps backwards. Why wouldn't she just let it go? He said sorry and that should be the end of it. Rehashing it over and over wouldn't change a thing. "It's done, Steph! Okay? I can't undrink what I had or turn back time."

Stephanie sighed. God, she thought they were making progress here. Maybe she was going about this all wrong and just needed to explain herself better or try a different approach. "That's not what I was suggesting. I'm just asking that you think of our welfare in the future before you do things like that. That's all."

"All I ever think about is you and the kids!" Stephanie knew this. They'd just had a conversation two days prior where he told her how much she stayed on his mind. "And you might wanna try practicing what you preach sometime," he said smugly.

Stephanie scrunched up her nose and narrowed her eyes. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She asked, her tone filled with attitude. What did she do or say that was so awful, now?

Hunter sent her a self-satisfied smile. "You weren't thinking about what was best for the kids when you ignored me at dinner a few nights ago and then finally kicked me out for three days."

Stephanie heaved out a breath and grazed her teeth over her bottom lip in agitation. "I can't believe you're trying to compare the two situations."

Hunter pointed an accusatory finger at her. "And I can't believe you're pretending to be some saint. Like you've never screwed up or behaved selfishly," he countered.

"You are fucking insufferable right now!"

"Sore spot," Hunter observed. "So it's fine to bust my balls over one drunken night out. But when we turn the topic to your recent screwup you can't take the heat?"

Stephanie shook her head, not totally wanting to believe the direction this conversation was taking. She felt like banging her head against the wall from sheer frustration. Her mistake wasn't comparable to his outright bad decision. And even if it was, that didn't excuse him of his behavior. "The circumstances were totally different. We've talked about this already...at length."

"Well maybe I wanna talk about it again."

She swallowed down the lump in her throat. She was beginning to feel helpless where that was concerned. She mistook her husbands _identical _twin for him...it could've happened to anybody. Usually what you saw was what you got. And what she saw was someone who looked exactly like Hunter, fondling some woman in broad daylight. What was the probability that it was going to be some long lost twin he didn't know existed? The odds were that she'd truly seen him. She'd taken the logical, probable route and it bit her in the ass. "I've apologized profusely. You said you'd forgiven me. We spent a day off to ourselves making up. What more can I say? What can I do to make it better?" She pleaded, almost on the verge of tears now.

"You can start showing your appreciation a little more...maybe cut me some slack from time to time. You can thank me for taking you back when I'm sure I've got lots of less dramatic options out there."

Stpehanie stared at him, completely baffled. What drugs was he on? Or maybe he was just still drunk. She hoped it was the latter. Now, she'd readily and excitedly admit that her husband was a great guy but his words told her that he thought he was some damn king and she was the subject who should bow down and hang on his every word. That wasn't how love worked. And it's not like he didn't come with his share of damn problems, either. "What the fu-" she began to say.

"Howard told me about all the women he's been with. Some of them probably mistook me for him. I'm just saying...options exist."

"Howard?" She asked begrudgingly. God, that guy was already a serious pain in her ass. He was spouting off his practically misogynistic ideas and Hunter was soaking it up like the guy was a damn Messiah or prophet. But Howard didn't know jack shit about relationships and Stephanie would soon be at her wits end on how to make Hunter see that. He needed to grasp that his asshole brother didn't respect women at all. For Howard it was solely about bedding and discarding the woman, without getting the tires of his car slashed.

What Hunter and Stephanie had was so much more than that. It was way out of Howard's league. But Hunter couldn't see that right now, given the pedestal he had put his brother on.

"Yeah, he so kindly pointed out how you're holding last night over my head to get your way. Well I got some shit to hold over your head, too!" He huffed out.

Stephanie stare was heated and she was working overtime not to just start trying to slap good sense into him. Today comprised two of the most childish arguments they'd had in recent times. Maybe even ever. She'd had to get up earlier than usual to take the kids to school and had missed half a day of work in case Hunter needed her. How exactly had she gotten her way? In Hunter and Howard's mind, what evil plot was she trying to get her husband to go along with today? She'd done nothing but work...family-wise and professionally.

And if she heard a Howard quote one more damn time she wasn't entirely certain she would be able to refrain from telling her husband what a dipshit the guy was. That certainly wouldn't close the distance that was rapidly forming in their marriage. "What the hell is this, 'The Taming of Stephanie' or something? That's not how you're supposed to treat your wife!"

Letting out an exasperated sigh, she slammed her laptop shut. She was so over this chat and getting angrier by the minute. Staying home today probably wasn't the best idea. All they were doing was fighting. "I'm going to work," she declared as she hastily gathered all the paperwork on the desk. "You can go to your car on your own...or you can go straight to hell," she suggested as an alternative. "I don't particularly care which one you prefer!"

With a flip of her hair, she turned her back and stomped out of their bedroom door.

"Nice try but you lose, Steph!" Hunter laughed loudly. "Howard already said he'd get me and take me to my car."

Why didn't Hunter just go live with the fucking guy instead of her since they were apparently so in tune and seeing eye to eye? She probably wouldn't even have to put him out; he'd likely volunteer and look forward to it. Stephanie didn't turn back around, but she did hold up her middle finger as she walked away to signal what she thought about his last comment. And about their conversation in general. "For me it's never about winning and losing," she called out as she headed down the stairs.

Hunter stood there, not sure what to say to that last statement. He heard the garage door slam and he frowned at the sound. Damn woman just had to have the last word, didn't she? And what, was she suggesting that all he cared about was winning arguments? That wasn't the case; he just wanted to resolve them and live in peace. But he was right on this one and he wouldn't be backing down. He shook his head and continued on into the bathroom to take a shower, hoping that the latter half of his day would be better than the first half.

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><p>What can I say? Marital drama makes for good fic! lol. Howard doesn't know his advice is crummy...although he still isn't a "good guy" he really does think he's helping Hunter get Stephanie under control or something. Stephanie is at a loss for what to do. She doesn't want to tell Hunter his brother sucks bc she thinks he'll just get pissed and resent her. But she's reaching a peak of frustration over Hunter taking the dude's advice. Mind you...there weren't completely over their breakup spat. So Howard's timing just really sucks b/c they're not solid again yet.

As for Hunter...poor guy is just misguided and looking for something/one to cling to since the whole "unbreakable relationship" thing blew up in his face when Steph gave him the boot. He just doesn't totally realize it yet. Whoops, that was kinda a spoiler, my bad...LOL! Well, I still have several other tricks up my sleeve. So stay tuned.

Feed me reviews...yum yum!


	23. The Way We Were

All day long, Hunter was in deep thought. He wasn't entirely sure what was happening between him and Stephanie. They were getting into the most ridiculous and immature arguments recently. He wanted this to all be over as soon as possible but Stephanie just wouldn't get off of his back.

So what if he'd gone out and drank too much one time? It was a mistake and it wouldn't happen again. He understood why she was pissed off; her day had been thrown off and she'd had to leave out the details as she explained things to the kids.

Hunter was sympathetic to that. He really was. But what was done, was done. They should be moving on instead of spending their day going over the incident. He already felt pretty crappy physically and all of the fighting was screwing with him mentally and emotionally.

"Helloooooooo, are you there?" Howard asked, waving his hand up and down in front of Hunter's face.

Hunter blinked. "What? Huh?" He asked, drawing his eyebrows together.

Howard snorted playfully and lifted his beer to his lips, taking a swallow. Instead of putting the bottle back on the table, he picked at the label a little bit. "I said look to your right. The redhead in the black bikini lying on the beach."

Sitting up in his chair and glancing over, Hunter couldn't help but laugh. Girls these days had absolutely no shame, it seemed. The redhead wasn't hard to spot seeing as she had stood up from lying on her towel and was currently waving at them.

"Well," Hunter said and turned to his brother, "Looks like you've got an admirer."

Howard tilted his sunglasses down to get a full view of the girl. "I'll say," he muttered appreciatively. "You down to be my wingman?" He asked, reaching out to backhand Hunter on the arm.

"Not really, no."

"Seriously? You're just gonna leave me hanging?"

"You're a big boy, Howard. You don't need me to help you talk to the girl."

"I know that!" Howard exclaimed. "But she has a friend. She just wasn't there by the time I got you to look."

One of Hunter's eyebrows rose above his sunglasses. "And?" He questioned with a shrug.

"What if she's a cock blocker?"

Hunter lifted his hand and absently scratched at his stomach. He pushed his sunglasses up to the top of his head, the shades acting almost like a headband for his loose, golden locks. He adjusted in his chair a little bit. "Knowing you, you've either found a way around that before or just talked to both girls," he pointed out truthfully and with a smirk before reclining again.

"Well…I've done both, yeah!" Howard laughed loudly before stretching his arms above his head. "I've always wished there was more of me to go around. And now there is," he added.

"No," Hunter said firmly. "Absolutely not. I've got enough women problems. I refuse to add more."

"Dude," Howard said seriously. "You can't be in a relationship and not have problems. It just comes with the territory. Running interference for me in case this chick's friend is a hater? No drama there…I'm not asking you to take the girl to dinner. Just distract her."

The brothers watched as the friend, a blonde-haired woman in a red bikini, sauntered back over to her spot. She stretched out on her back on the towel, bending her long legs at the knees.

"She looks cute," Hunter observed. "Just talk to both of them. Leave me out of it."

Howard stood up from his chair. "Worst twin ever," he groaned and made his way from the sheltered area.

Out of the corner of his eye, Hunter saw the glint of the sunlight hitting his cell phone. He stared at it for a moment. Stephanie hadn't called or texted him since she left for work. That was a bit before eleven. Howard had come to get him around noon and they'd gone to grab his car before heading to Greenwich Point Beach. It was a beautiful fall day and was perfect for relaxing and people watching, as Howard had said. Hunter didn't disagree with that but he knew that the opportunity to stare at half-naked women for free was probably a deciding factor in his brother wanting to come here.

Hunter picked up his cell phone and unlocked the screen. He immediately went to the gallery of pictures. He and Stephanie both had at least a hundred on their phone and probably more at home on the computer. He clicked on the first album and could tell that the first picture was of him and his wife.

He'd been standing behind Stephanie, with his arms wrapped around her waist and his chin planted in the crook of her neck. She'd turned her head to press a kiss against his cheek. Jackson, who'd been playing with Hunter's phone, had snapped the picture of his parents. With Hunter's shit-eating grin and Stephanie's dimpled smile, they really did look insanely happy and in love. This photo had been taken on Labor Day, which was exactly two weeks ago. At the moment, it seemed like it could have been months ago. But the presence of the "Happy Labor Day" baseball cap he was wearing and U.S. flag Stephanie held in her free hand were evidence to the contrary.

Letting out a sigh, he glanced over to see that Howard had plopped down in the sand between the two women he was after. He shook his head at the fact that both women actually seemed to be entertaining whatever his brother was saying. He looked down at the picture of himself and Stephanie again.

Deciding that sending a text wasn't a whole lot of effort on his part, he went to the thread he had going with Stephanie and began to type.

_Hi…_

At her desk, Stephanie pushed aside the contract modifications that someone from developmental had proposed. Normally, she could push any problems from her personal life aside and just throw herself into her work. Today, it wasn't happening for some reason. She could hardly concentrate, without thoughts of the last few days entering her mind.

Her phone vibrated and beeped once, letting her know she had a message. She picked it up and the phone informed her that she had a new message from "Hubby." She clicked it and couldn't help but smile slightly at the simple, yet meaningful greeting. The ellipsis let her know that he was a bit unsure of messaging her. But he'd taken some initiative, at least. Which meant he was thinking about her and wanting her to know it.

There were a few things she wanted to say in response. She wanted to tell him that she loved him. She really missed him, despite the fact they'd only been apart for a few hours. But with the recent drama, they had been separated both physically and emotionally. It's not something that she was used to and it damn sure wasn't something that she liked. But she wasn't going to say that first. He'd been a major asshole this morning.

_Hi…_

Hunter frowned at his cell phone. She'd sent back the exact same thing he sent her. Well, he couldn't exactly be mad at her for that. He could extend himself a bit more in an attempt to try to end this fighting.

_I love you…?_

Now it was Stephanie's turn to frown at her phone. She didn't quite understand the meaning or purpose of the question mark. Instead of speculating, she would just come right out and ask him about it.

_Does the mark mean you're questioning whether or not you love me?_

_I'm not, Steph. I'm just not sure if you want to hear that from me at the moment._

She smiled at his reply. Clearly he thought she was still pissed off at him. They weren't totally okay right now but she wasn't steaming mad with him. She loved him too much and they had too many good memories for her to go through her entire day angry. Even through the drama of the last few days, they'd had some loving and amusing moments. Those moments snuck into her thoughts from time to time and made her heart feel warm and a smile grace her face.

_Hunter, I like hearing that you love me. Even when I'm upset with you._

_:) That's good to know. So do you love me back?_

_I'll always love you. I think I might kinda be stuck with you!_

Hunter chuckled at the phone and figured that she seemed pleasant enough right now. Maybe they could have a conversation without it turning into an argument. He went into his contacts list and chose her direct office line, putting the call through.

The ringing of her office phone momentarily startled her. She placed a hand to her chest to calm herself down. She'd been staring at her cell phone waiting for her husband's next message. She picked up the landline, "Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley."

"That's a lie, you know."

Stephanie laughed at the playful tone of Hunter's voice. "What's a lie?"

"Your last name. It's just Helmsley," he pointed out confidently.

A smile spread across her lips and she laughed again. "Everyone important to me knows that. The not-so-important people are the ones who need the McMahon name to make the connection."

"Clever girl, aren't you?" he said.

Stephanie had another cheeky response for him, but she stifled it. She could get a little serious without the conversation turning completely negative. She licked her bottom lip and let out a small sigh. "Hunter, I…I miss you."

"I haven't gone anywhere, Steph."

"I know," she said quickly. "I know that. I miss 'us', I miss the way we were."

Hunter closed his eyes and ran a hand through his loose hair. She sounded completely serious and he definitely detected sadness. He hated it when she was sad or hurt. It ate him up and made him want to do whatever he could to make her smiling and happy again. "You know, I was looking at that picture Jack took of us on Labor Day," he said.

"And you got a little wistful?"

"I did," he confirmed. "I miss us being that way, too. Seems like it was so long ago."

_Screw it, _Stephanie decided. Nothing that had happened between them recently meant a damn thing. These weren't huge problems. But that's basically what they'd turned it into. She wanted things to go back to normal. The bottom line was that they loved each other. Furthermore, Hunter tried to be a good husband and she tried to be a good wife. They were bound to make mistakes along the way; no one was perfect.

They could both be God-awful stubborn at times. Apologizing was like swallowing dry, bitter food for her when she felt that she wasn't in the wrong. But she would do this. She'd be the bigger person in an attempt to end whatever was going wrong between them before it got any worse.

If she was lucky, it might help keep the recent, jerk side of him away for longer than ten minutes.

"I want to apologize for not letting last night go - for continuing to bring it up after we talked about it."

Hunter nodded and was pleased with her maturity. The problem was never that she was upset with him. The problem was that she kept pressing the issue and hammering home that he'd been irresponsible and reckless. These were things that he already knew and having her going through it again and again was irritating. He did appreciate her efforts of taking care of things last night and this morning and wanted to make sure she knew it. "I accept. You know, I really am sorry about last night and screwing up your morning and all."

"Thank you," she said sincerely.

He blew out a heavy breath. "See, this is why apologies should happen in person. Then you get to kiss to make it all official," he said smoothly.

Stephanie chuckled, but the sound of his husky voice was already beginning have its effects on her active imagination. "Since you're not working today, you could always drop by my office and we can have that kiss. Or we can just postpone it until we're both home," she offered as an alternative.

Even though they seemed to be getting back on track, she wasn't going to set herself up for disappointment. He'd said Howard would take him to his car. She'd be an idiot to believe that they wouldn't feel a need to hang out before or after. She wouldn't ask him to choose between coming by her job for a little while and hanging out with Howard. Quite frankly, she felt that it would lead to some sort of altercation. One that would leave her with hurt feelings at worst or feeling that he was only coming by out of obligation, at best. Neither of those was appealing.

"What time are you leaving work?" Hunter asked.

"Are you picking up the kids?"

"Yeah, I'll get them. Hmm," Hunter said and pulled the phone from his ear so that he could look at the time. "It's after two already, babe. I'm at Greenwich Point right now and the girls will be out of gym at four."

"How about this? If I leave work at four then I'll get home around the same time as you and the twins. We can hang out – with or without the girls," she laughed. There was a fifty percent chance the girls would run off to do their own thing and leave their parents completely alone. "I'll come with you to get Jack and maybe we can all go out to eat."

"That sounds good," he said. "What do you have a taste for?"

Stephanie grinned hugely, but could feel her cheeks going warm from her blushing. "It isn't technically on any menu because it's all mine…so you pick."

Hunter laughed out loud and slapped at his knee. "Stephanie Marie Helmsley, I do believe you are flirting with me. But all right, I'll come up with a place."

"Okay. See you in a couple of hours, honey. Have a good time at the beach."

"Thanks, I'll do that. Love you," Hunter said.

"Love you, too," she returned before placing the cordless phone back in its cradle.

Hunter pulled his sunglasses back down over his eyes and settled into his seat. He glanced out at the beach, noting that Howard seemed to still be scoring major points with the two women. They came in separate cars, but Hunter didn't want to be outright rude by wandering off without announcement. He'd give his brother until three and then he was heading home for a shower, clothes and then off to get Stephanie's duplicates.

Once more, he browsed his phone until he found the Labor Day picture. They'd get back to being that happy…sooner rather than later, if they were lucky. But not until he got rid of this strange, discontent feeling that seemed to have settled into his core regarding their relationship. He couldn't pin it. But for his marriage, he eventually would.

Hunter got up from his seat and wandered out towards the beach.

"Hey!" Howard called out enthusiastically. "Look who finally decided to get off his ass and come down here!"

Red Bimbo and Blonde Bimbo is what Hunter dubbed the two women in that moment, mostly due to the way they gawked openly at both him and Howard. The very fact that they'd listened to any lines his brother tossed out was a testament to how naïve they probably were.

Not that he came down here for conversation. He was going to be polite and introduce himself before heading for the water. He wanted to clear his mind. Until he had to leave, he would just enjoy the sun, sand, and water for a bit. There was plenty of time for him to think about things later.


	24. The Usual

Nicole, I so don't know how you always end up being review #100. LOL. Funny. I'm glad all you reviewers enjoyed the last chapter. I hope that you enjoy this one. I think I'm going to bump the rating to mature. What do you guys think? Let me know what you think of that...and this chapter, via review! :-)

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><p><em>Hunter can't possibly be going where I think he's going, <em>Stephanie thought curiously. She sat in the passenger seat of his SUV, reclining into the comfortable leather.

On a normal day, every now and then her husband's fingers would find themselves brushing along her hand or drawing random patterns into her thigh. When that happened it didn't even look like he was thinking about what he was doing. It was just instinct to him; much like breathing.

During this car ride, there hadn't been any absentminded affection from him. Furthermore, even though Hunter was talking, he seemed a bit…down. She guessed that would be the best description for it. He was smiling, but not as much as usual. And when he did, it didn't quite reach his eyes. Normally they'd be playfully bickering or flirting. Yet they weren't doing either.

Something had gone awry with their dynamic. Stephanie had made a couple of attempts to get them back to normal but it hadn't worked out the way she had hoped. Hunter would return her playfulness or cheekiness for that one moment and then his demeanor would plummet again.

This just wasn't like him. He was a passionate kind of guy. Whether he was arguing with her or kissing her, everything he did had sincere passion behind it. Today she didn't see that. She saw him as just going through the motions. A routine of some kind.

She wanted to chalk it up to their recent drama. She wanted to think that the fact they'd only made up a couple of hours prior had him walking on eggshells, so to speak. It made sense. It was logical and rational.

So why couldn't her heart get behind that conclusion? Why was her gut telling her that they hadn't really made a damn bit of progress because the real problem hadn't been addressed?

God, she hated this. Truthfully, she'd rather them be yelling and cursing at each other than to have this strange, melancholy thing going on. At least a marital battle had feeling behind it. At least everyone was honest when they were completely pissed.

Unable to take it for one second longer, Stephanie reached across and tentatively touched Hunter's wrist.

Upon stopping at the red light, Hunter turned his head to look at her. He gave her a one-sided smile that seemed forced in Stephanie's opinion.

"Hunter, is everything okay?" She asked low enough so that the kids couldn't hear from the backseat. She had no idea what movie they were watching but whatever it was, she was glad for it. It kept their attention off of the fact that their parents were experiencing something unusual.

"Why wouldn't it be?"

_Answering my question with a question, _she thought. Instead of calling him on it, she simply shrugged and tucked a lock of wavy hair behind her ear. "I don't know," she answered. And in truth, she really didn't know. She'd put her pride and ego aside and apologized to him. She'd decided to let the whole thing go so that things could be put right between them. She hadn't complained about him hanging out with Howard or demanded that he use his sick time to hang out with her instead. What more could he want from her today?

Hunter nodded and gave her a small smile before turning back to the road, signaling that this particular conversation was over.

Stephanie wasn't totally off base, he knew. But since he couldn't pin why he was feeling so discontent, there was no reason to bring it up. If she thought he was confusing now, he'd damn sure confuse her by telling her he didn't know what the fuck was going on in his mind and heart.

He had been able to avoid a conversation such as this, thanks to their kids. Karmina and Kaycee had wanted to hang out with their parents, telling them all about their day at school and about their gymnastics practice. Hunter and Stephanie hadn't had any alone time whatsoever and before they knew it, it was time to get Jackson. The presence of the girls kept their attention, yet again.

Now that the kids were in the backseat watching a movie, it did give the parents a bit of space. And that space was only amplifying the emotional distance that had come between them.

"Chuck E. Cheese's," Stephanie said as Hunter pulled the car into the parking lot. So he did end up going where she thought he was. This wouldn't have been her first choice for dinner, really. But at least all of the activity would distract the kids before they could start asking questions about the relationship weirdness. If that was why Hunter had picked this place, he was brilliant.

An hour later, Karmina's voice could be heard from across the room. "Mommy! Daddy! Look, look!"

Stephanie turned her head and couldn't help but laugh. The eldest twin was trying to run towards their table, but was repeatedly being tripped by the long train of tickets that her little hands couldn't quite bundle up.

Hunter got up from the table and walked the couple of yards over to Karmina. He picked her up to keep her from falling over her tickets. He whistled in approval. "Whoa there, champ! How'd you get all these tickets?"

"The spinning wheel game!" She answered happily. "Mommy, fix them please?" She asked with the beginnings of a pout, holding the mess of tickets out to Stephanie.

Hunter sat down with the giddy clone of his wife bouncing excitedly on his knee.

"Sure, Reese's pieces," Stephanie answered and took the tickets from her daughter. "What's the spinning wheel game?"

"Mommmmmmy," she complained as if Stephanie should know what the game was based on the name she'd given. "It-it's the one where the thing…it spins and you press the button and the ball drops, Mommy. And-and if it falls in a big number cup or the star cup you get lots of tickets!"

Stephanie laughed at the little girl as she continued to fold the tickets up neatly. "I know that game," she said.

Karmina's blue eyes went wide. "You do?"

"Uh huh," Stephanie nodded. "I think your Daddy does, too."

Karmina turned around and looked up at Hunter. "You know the spinning wheel game, Daddy?"

"I sure do, munchkin," he said with a smile before pressing a kiss to her light brown waves. "Did your ball fall in the star cup?"

"Uh huh!" She said with an emphatic nod.

_Good lord, she's so much like her mother, _Hunter thought. Not that it was a bad thing. In fact, he found it extremely cute that both of his daughters had somehow taken on Stephanie's mannerisms and expressions, in addition to her looks. "Are your brother and sister getting a lot of tickets, too?" Hunter asked.

Karmina poked her lip out thoughtfully before shrugging. "Jack plays basketball, Sam plays dancing."

"Are they having fun?"

Karmina nodded her head eagerly before hopping down from her father's lap. "Course, silly. It's Chuck E! I'll go play now!" She exclaimed before running off towards the games again.

"I can't believe she just ditched us like that!" Hunter said with a pretend hurt expression.

Stephanie reached across the table, playfully whacking Hunter on the arm. "Course she did, silly. It's Chuck E. after all!" She grinned.

Hunter snickered at Stephanie's imitation of Karmina. He'd be lying if he said she didn't do a damn good job. "Seriously, though. Who needs cable for entertainment when you've got kids?"

"My thoughts exactly," Stephanie agreed. She was pleased that he'd stopped brooding and hoped it would last more than a few minutes. Once they'd entered the popular establishment his mood had improved but it still wasn't like usual. After eating a generous helping of pizza and salad, they'd given the kids cups full of tokens and they'd rushed off to play the games.

The parents were left alone in a sort of awkward silence. It wasn't that Stephanie needed to talk constantly. It was that this just wasn't she and Hunter's usual way of interacting with each other. After ten minutes of weirdness and failed attempts at conversation she finally asked him what the deal was. Hunter had shrugged and said that he was tired.

That was understandable. The man had been out partying all night and paying for it all day. So she let it go and instead directed her attention to the general area their kids were in.

Now it seemed like he was lightening up, finally. For that she was grateful. Hit with a great idea to keep him this way, she reached out to touch his hand that was resting casually on the table. "Hunter?" She asked.

"Yeah, baby?" He asked, turning his hand underneath hers so he could rub circles into her palm.

Stephanie felt absurdly giddy. This was more like him. She wanted to keep it that way. She looked all around her, eyes narrowed as if she was about to spill some government secret to him. "I've got an idea," she said ominously, with a smirk on her lips.

Hunter leaned in to her a little bit and raised his eyebrows, playing along. "Tell me what idea is in that pretty head of yours."

"I think…" she hesitated and bit down on her lip briefly. "I think I can take you in skee ball, whack-a-mole or basketball."

Hunter's amused brown eyes scanned Stephanie's currently mischievous looking blue ones. "Do you now?" He asked.

Stephanie nodded and broke out into a beaming smile. "I do."

Hunter used his free hand to rub his beard thoughtfully. "Hmm. I pick skee ball."

"Want to name any terms?"

"A hundred bucks plus the winner leads the next kiss. Whatever kind and however long." He knew the bet was silly and pointless. Not only was he fully confident he would beat Stephanie, but they shared their income anyway for the most part. To top it off, it wasn't like kissing was something they didn't do regularly. But it seemed cute, given that they'd yet to have their official make-up kiss.

Stephanie's much smaller hand squeezed his briefly before she stood up from the table. "You're on, my love."

Hunter grabbed their last cup of tokens from the table and together they headed to the row of skee ball machines. They weren't the traditional ones that only went up to fifty points. Rather, on either side of the fifty point hole was a one-hundred point hole. They kept walking until they spotted two available spots at the end of the row.

"Prepare for defeat, Steph," Hunter chuckled before putting tokens in for both of them and sitting the cup aside.

"We'll just see about that!" Stephanie replied dismissively, watching as the balls rolled down to greet them both.

Hunter poked his tongue out of the side of his mouth in concentration. He drew his arm back and launched the ball up the incline. "Damn it," he muttered as the ball bounced off of the forty-point hole and went off to the side, rolling down into the ten-point section.

On the other hand, Stephanie gracefully rolled her ball up the incline, directing it to the side just a little bit. She smiled triumphantly when the ball fell into the hundred-point mark. Casually, she peeped over at Hunter's score, noting that she was already leaving him in the dust.

For the next few moments, they continued trying to outscore one another. Stephanie glanced up and noticed that she had three-hundred points, compared with her husband's two-hundred. She had four balls left and Hunter probably had the same.

Getting obliterated by her in a child's game might not send him back to a sullen mood. But why take the chance? On the inside, she knew she was going to win anyway. She'd kick his ass in this game fully, on a day where they weren't just getting over relationship issues.

The next few throws of hers were underdone, landing her ten and twenty points maximum.

Meanwhile Hunter had finally decided that a softer approach was best. At first, he was throwing the ball so hard that he was overshooting his mark. His final throws netted him no less than fifty points.

When the buzzer signaled and his screen lit up, informing him that he was the winner, he turned to Stephanie with a self-satisfied smile. "What did I tell ya, huh?" He asked.

Stephanie shrugged and let out a small sigh. "Guess you're just that damn good. You can claim your prize anytime, you know," she told him with a wink.

Hunter laughed loudly and grabbed her hand, leading her back towards the table. "Later," he said simply.

By later, Hunter had apparently meant when the kids had finally passed out in their beds from exhaustion, Stephanie mused as she entered their bedroom and closed the door.

Hunter closed the door to the twins' room and silently walked a few feet down to Jack's room. He poked his head in and smiled at his son, who was knocked out cold and sprawled across the bed. Shortly after beating Stephanie, Jackson had come running over to the table, begging his parents to be able to give his tickets away to another little boy. The kid he'd met was simply watching all of the other kids play. His parents didn't have enough money to get him anything other than pizza.

In Greenwich, there were very few poor people. But as there was no Chuck E. Cheese in the city, they'd driven to Bronx, New York which was about twenty minutes away without traffic.

The little boy's name was Tony and according to Jack, he looked so sad watching the other kids have all the fun. Hunter and Stephanie didn't hesitate to agree that Jack could give the kid his tickets. Further, they sent over their last cup of tokens to the little boy. Upon seeing the example set by their older brother, Karmina and Kaycee did the same thing. It made Hunter proud that even though his kids were definitely spoiled, they were being raised right.

His kids weren't like the snobs Hunter had gone to high school with. His children were compassionate and cared about the less fortunate. They were only stingy when it came to sharing with each other. Hunter chuckled lowly and shook his head at the thought, pulling the door shut. His long legs continued down the long stretch of hallway leading to his bedroom. He pushed the door open and stopped dead in his tracks for a moment.

He tilted his head, watching Stephanie pull her shirt up and off. As she shook her now wild hair out, Hunter quietly closed the door and tiptoed until he was right behind her. From behind, he wrapped his arms around her waist. For a few seconds he stayed silent, just enjoying the feel of her soft skin. At the moment she was only wearing jeans and a bra. "I've come to collect," he hushed against her ear.

Even though he couldn't see her face, Stephanie smiled. "I was wondering when you would," she replied, reaching behind her to draw his face closer to hers.

Hunter's lips fastened themselves to her neck and Stephanie let out a dreamy sigh that was on the verge of a moan, tilting her head so that Hunter had better access to her neck. "I love _not _fighting with you," she said lowly as she felt his tongue sneak out to taste her.

Against her skin, his lips upturned into a smile. He pulled back and nipped at her earlobe playfully. "Hmm. I love you, period."

She grinned and turned around in his arms, placing her hands on his broad chest. She rubbed up to his shoulders and back down again a few times. "So was that my make-up kiss?"

Hunter smirked at her. "No. This is," he corrected before leaning down and pressing his lips against hers. For a few moments the kiss remained innocent enough. Then Hunter teased her lips apart, his tongue battling hers for dominance for the next minute or so.

Suddenly he placed his hands under her butt and yanked her up into the air. He broke the kiss to laugh at her startled gasp. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he walked the few short feet to the nearest wall, pushing her up against it, but not too hard.

Stephanie reached down, grabbing his shirt from the bottom and pulled it up. Hunter sat her feet back down on the floor and put his arms up for a moment so that she could get it off all the way. She tossed it somewhere in the room behind them. "Much better," she commented, satisfied at the increase of skin-to-skin contact.

Hunter leaned forward, towards her neck again. But instead of allowing it, Stephanie pressed her lips to the column of his throat and reverse their positioning so that he was against the wall. She felt his Adam's apple bob up and down before she moved her kisses over. With her hands, she scraped her nails from his chest down to the waistband of his pants, lightly.

"Fuck, Steph. That feels nice."

"Wait til you see what else I've got in mind," she said.

"Mmm," he practically purred for her when her mouth found its way to his chest. "I'm so glad you apologized."

Stephanie grinned for a moment before she realized what he said. She pulled back and looked up at him. "I'm sorry…what was that?"

Hunter's eyes were closed and one side of his mouth was upturned into a happy smile. "Nothing, baby. Do that thing with your tongue again."

Instead of acquiescing to the request Stephanie took a step back and put her hands on her hips. "Hunter," she said firmly. "Did you say that you're glad _I _apologized?"

His eyes fluttered open and he looked genuinely confused as he peered down at her. "Yeah," he said before shrugging casually. "I'm just saying I'm glad you were mature enough to realize you were wrong and put things right."

"You are _such _an ass!" She groaned.

"What'd I say?"

"The only reason I apologized was so we could stop the fighting. I didn't do it because I thought I was wrong."

"Does it matter?" He asked seriously, with an incredulous look on his face.

Stephanie stared at him for a moment before shaking her head. She threw her hands in the air halfway and scoffed. "I'm gonna go take a shower," she declared before stomping away from him and towards the bathroom.

"But what about us?" He asked, referring to himself and the erection he was gesturing to.

"You have each other," she replied nastily before slamming the door shut.

Hunter frowned at the door, hoping that Stephanie would change her mind and open it. What the fucking hell was her problem anyway? It was like she was rescinding her apology. He truly didn't understand what made her go from hot with desire to hot with anger in such a short span of time.

He groaned as he felt his throbbing manhood straining against his jeans. "Oh shut up," he said to the organ.

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><p>*is evil* :-D<p> 


	25. Darkness

So I had a particular day in mind for when everything would finally blow up horribly. This chapter throws that off actually. But with all the fighting it didn't make sense, plot-wise for them not to have this convo already. The "disaster" chapter doesn't have to be on a holiday, I suppose. LOL.

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><p>Hunter didn't give up hope that Stephanie would stop being pissed at him. Not until he heard the water get turned on, followed by her pulling the shower curtain.<p>

He sighed heavily, deciding that he also needed a shower. A damn cold one, since she'd literally left him to fend for himself. He wasn't a fool, though. He knew good and well that the only reason she'd chosen to shower at that precise moment was because she was as turned on as he was. Because she was a female, obviously she didn't have the same glaring signs that he did. But he knew her and her body well enough to come to that conclusion. It made him a bit less annoyed to know that she was suffering right along with him.

He padded into the hallway and grabbed towels from the linen closet before continuing to the bathroom.

Hunter washed up quickly, and then just allowed the cold water to do its job and soothe him. To calm down, he also made himself think of the unsexiest thing he could. He thought back to the old affair between Mark Henry and Mae Young. The whole thing was comically disgusting and culminated in Mae Young giving birth to a hand of all things. Hunter shuddered at the memories, but they'd done what he intended. He switched off the water and walked back to his bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.

In their master bathroom, Stephanie was trying to keep her crying from being audible. The shower made that a bit easier because it was drowning her out. She just didn't understand what was going on in her marriage. Every time they seemed to make progress, they regressed. It was beginning to frustrate the hell out of her. She just wanted their relationship to be filled with love and happiness. Obviously, the love hadn't gone anywhere. But the happiness was beginning to waver. She just couldn't understand how all this damage had been done in no more than a week.

Which made her wonder if something had been wrong for much longer than that, and she'd simply been blind to it.

Hunter turned his head at the sound of the door opening. Stephanie appeared, running her hand through her hair. She was wearing a tank top and boyshorts. His brow furrowed with his scrutiny, noting that her eyes were puffy and red. "Steph?"

Stephanie looked over to the bed and was halfway shocked to see him propped up against the pillows wearing a pair of boxers. "Just leave me alone, Hunter," she said softly. Her bare feet relished in the feel of the plush carpet as she made her way to the bed. Hunter had already turned down the covers, so she just climbed on in.

"Can we talk?"

"I don't want to talk. I want to sleep." To emphasize her point, she turned on her side and yanked the sheet over her body, all the way up to her chin.

Hunter leaned over and peeled the sheet back so he could see her better. Her sad, yet infuriated blue eyes narrowed at him but she stayed silent. "Steph, I can't fix it if you don't tell me what's wrong."

Stephanie huffed out a breath and moved to sit up. "That's just it, Hunter!" She exclaimed, slapping a hand against her pillow. "I don't know exactly what needs fixing. We just…keep having these misunderstandings and arguments. And-and I don't understand you and you don't understand me. But at least I was trying. It feels like you're not trying to get me anymore. And I don't know, I got a little fed up, I guess."

Hunter's eyebrows rose and he snorted. "Misunderstandings? You kicked me out of our house just a few days ago. That wasn't a damn misunderstanding, it was a decision. Things haven't been right with us ever since."

Stephanie put both hands in her hair and tugged. Yet again, they'd gone back to this extremely unlikely scenario. "Howard is your identical twin. I thought he was you," she explained for what felt like the hundredth time. "Hunter, barring that old Trish Stratus thing, I never entertained the idea that you would cheat on me." She lowered her voice considerably because she was being sincere. "Doesn't that count for something? Doesn't it matter that he literally shares the same DNA as you and we had no idea he existed?"

Hunter scratched underneath his chin and shrugged. "Of course it does. I'm just saying."

"What are you saying exactly?"

Because he still didn't have a complete explanation for how he personally felt, he would go with the most obvious. He hadn't pinpointed what was going on in his heart. But his mind had easily figured out when things started going to shit. "Steph, ever since that whole thing happened, things have been different between us."

"So you're saying it's totally and completely my fault that this – whatever the hell this is, is happening?"

Hunter shrugged again. "Didn't say that."

"Say what you do mean, then."

"You've been acting really strange ever since we found out about Howard."

"I've been," Stephanie muttered softly, in amazement. "Strange," she said absently. That's the conclusion Hunter had drawn? That she'd been behaving out of sorts ever since his no-good twin showed up? Maybe that was somewhat true, but it was only in response to the way Hunter was behaving since the guy showed up.

"Yeah. I don't know. I don't know exactly what's been going on with you but that's when it started."

"Hunter who's the one that takes care of you when you're sick or hurt, huh? I've carried and given birth to not one, not two but _three _of your children and you've even talked me into having another. I have literally devoted almost ten years of my life trying to keep you happy and give you what you need and want from me."

Hunter sighed. It wasn't like he hadn't done the same for her. Physically speaking, he wasn't able to have kids because he was a male. But he did his best at helping out and taking care of them and his wife. "Steph, I appreciate all of it. I really do. But I've dedicated my life to you also, so what is your point?"

"My point, Hunter…is that as soon as your brother came blowing into our lives, he's been in your ear spouting off his woman-hating bullshit advice and opinions. Clearly, you're soaking the shit up because I've heard you quote the guy dozens of times in the last few days. You seem to be treating me with less respect and less appreciation and I don't like it one damn bit."

Hunter looked down and rubbed at his forehead, feeling the beginnings of a dull headache. "You're so fucking off base, Stephanie."

"You can't tell me how the hell I feel. Only I can do that…and I'm telling you now. I feel that very soon you're just gonna start seeing me as some sort of damn trophy or sex object. And I really feel like Howard's company and opinions have started to mean more to you than mine."

His hazel eyes snapped back to her and he laughed incredulously. "That's it, right there! You're jealous," he uttered in shock. "You're jealous of my brother."

"Have you not listened to a word I just said?

Hunter nodded. "I've listened to everything. And that's really your whole problem. Isn't it? You can't stand that he's around and taking up some of my time."

"You're right. I can't stand that he's around, but not for the reasons you think."

Hunter gestured that the floor was all hers.

It was now or never. She could continue to withhold the entirety of her dislike for Howard…and see Hunter's smug expression because he'd believe she was jealous. Or she could lay it all out there and deal with whatever happened as a result.

"I think he's a horrible influence on you, will be a horrible influence on the kids if they were to spend time with him. And to top it off I don't really think he plans to stick around. Hunter he doesn't even talk to the parents that raised him, he treats women like they're disposable…ties don't seem to be his thing. I honestly think he's just here to vacation and party, not to become a part of your family. And in the meantime you're going to let him wreck our marriage."

Hunter bit down on his lip. He wasn't sure what he felt at the moment. He was angry that Stephanie could think of his brother in such a way. He was angry that in her mind, he was being warped by Howard. And he was undoubtedly starting to feel sad that her comments suggested that he wasn't worth getting to know or something. "You're wrong," he said simply.

Because she could see that he was mulling the idea over and not liking it one bit, she reached her hand out to his cheek. She ran her fingers down to his chin and pulled him over for a peck on the lips. "I hope I am."

Instead of replying to her, Hunter got comfortable in the bed. He scooted away a couple of inches and punched his pillow just because he felt like it and needed an outlet of some kind. Getting into a debate or argument with Stephanie over a situation no one could be sure of, was _not _going to be that outlet. He pulled the covers up and closed his eyes.

Stephanie watched him and his body language carefully. She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck, unsure of what she should do. Hell, she wasn't even sure if telling him had been the proper course of action. Now he was stonewalling her. And if he didn't believe her, he was just going to think she was crazy and jealous. Either way, he was going to resent her for what she said. But she just couldn't keep it to herself any longer. Not when Hunter was totally misconstruing things and making her out to be the bad guy. With a shake of her head she reached over and tapped the light on the nightstand. With the exception of the soft glow being cast by the skylight, they were left in darkness in more ways than one.

As she began to let herself drift to sleep, she wondered if their relationship would ever be light again.

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><p>Changing the rating to mature when I post the next chapter. So for those of you not "following" the fic, make sure to change the default search rating from "K-T" to include "M" so that it shows up for you :-D<p> 


	26. Working Out

This chapter is living (or written...idk lol) proof that if people a) hound me enough about an update and b) poke at me enough about what they want to see in particular, that it will show up sooner rather than later, lol. Please note that when I say things like "bug" and "pester" I mean it affectionately and NOT negatively as if it's getting on my nerves. It totally does NOT; it motivates me to write and is quite entertaining. So...due to the pestering for updates and smut...here is a smut-included update. Enjoy. LOL

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><p>Hunter's sniff of the air was audible. Something smelled delicious. His brown eyes opened and he squinted at the brightness coming in through the windows and the skylight. He yawned loudly and scratched at his stomach.<p>

While he padded into the bathroom, he rubbed at his sleepy eyes.

Downstairs, Stephanie flipped the bacon over, wanting it to cook as evenly as possible. She put her fork aside and grabbed the large bowl near her, pouring the batter into their Five of Hearts waffle maker. She flipped the texture switch to deep bake, knowing that Hunter preferred his waffles to have the same consistency. The kids preferred crispy waffles with a soft interior.

"What are you doing and why are you up this early?" Came Hunter's voice out of nowhere.

Stephanie closed her appliance so the waffles could start cooking. She turned around to see that Hunter had thrown on a pair of track pants and a sleeveless, black tank. Was there anything that her man didn't look amazing in? It seemed that no matter what he was or wasn't wearing, she was ready to jump his bones. She bit down on her lip in an attempt to rid her mind of thoughts that shouldn't currently be there. Already, she had calculated that since he'd woken up earlier than she expected they had around ten minutes where they would be completely alone. After that, they needed to wake the kids up. Quickness wasn't one of their most developed qualities, so she'd just have to control herself this morning.

Hunter didn't necessarily look…warm, she decided. But he didn't look completely pissed off either. He was probably too dazed to really feel either way at this point. She sent him a smile. "I got up so I could make you guys breakfast. Your favorite," she added.

His eyes widened with surprise, but he still smiled. "Waffles with strawberries on top?"

_That brightened him up, _Stephanie thought and smiled again. "You got it, babe."

"What brought this on?" He questioned skeptically, taking a seat at the island that was in the middle of their kitchen. He rested his forearms on the table.

"A couple of things, actually. Know how I left work early yesterday and I was able to hang out with you and the girls and we caught a few minutes of Jack's practice?"

"Yeah," he said, not seeing where she was going with this or why it had moved her to lose sleep to cook breakfast.

"Well, I really enjoyed being able to spend more time with you and the kids. I know we've arranged things this way because your schedule is more flexible and all…but you get to take them to school and pick them up. It's bonding time, you know. On a normal day I get home with just enough time to help with dinner, baths and putting them to bed."

"So you're going to start getting up earlier to eat breakfast with us?"

She smiled again. "Yeah. I want to see how this goes for a few days, see if I can get to work a bit earlier so I can leave earlier and at least be able to ride with you and the girls to get Jack on practice days. Just figured I'd work on getting up earlier starting today. As for why I specifically made your favorite?" She said, pulling open the waffle maker right as it beeped to let her know that the five, heart-shaped waffles were done.

Hunter watched her while she pulled plates down from the cupboards, arranging the waffles on one of them. For some reason he never noticed before today that her movements in the kitchen were actually quite graceful. He waited patiently for her to finish her train of thought, but yawned because he still wasn't completely awake.

"The meal is meant to go along with my apology about last night."

Hazel eyes widened again. She'd seemed completely sincere when she'd been trashing his brother. Had she changed her mind overnight? Unlikely. He couldn't wait to hear this.

"First, I'm sorry about the way I stormed off on you. That's literally the first time I was so upset with you that I backed out of sex that way. If it makes you feel any better I reconsidered as soon as I closed the bathroom door and I was miserable during my entire shower."

Hunter chuckled, not bothering to hide how appropriate he felt this was. "Yeah, that makes me feel better. And I'd figured as much, anyway. I know you've never done that before, which is why I was more shocked than anything."

Stephanie nodded and pushed back stray strands of hair that had fallen out of her messy bun. She fiddled with the belt of her purple, silk robe that was tied loosely around her waist. "The second thing is…well I thought about it and I realized I have no right to assume things. I mean I don't know why Howard doesn't talk to his parents or why he treats women the way he does. Maybe there's a good reason, maybe not."

A sigh left his mouth. "All that should matter is that he isn't trying to screw any of us over, Steph."

Stephanie held her hands up in defense. No, she didn't think Howard was purposely going to screw them over in some way. But she did feel that it was a byproduct of letting the guy into their lives. Maybe people like him couldn't help but screw things up around them. Not that she could or would tell Hunter that at this point.

All she wanted was to patch up this crack in their marriage before it turned into a gaping hole. Howard was too sensitive of a subject for her to outright oppose his presence. At least until he did something worse. Unfortunately, she knew that something worse would come eventually. Her instincts tended to be right and she was good at reading people when she detached her own emotions from the situation. She turned back to keep an eye on the food. "Honestly, I was just trying to protect you."

"That's not your job," Hunter said without hesitation. "It's my job to protect you and it's yours to support me."

She glanced over momentarily and nodded. "Fair enough," she said simply before padding over to the refrigerator to get the eggs she intended to scramble.

"Maybe you two just need to get to know each other better."

Blue eyes went wide and she was glad that her back was to her husband. And that she had enough wherewithal not to drop the carton of eggs. Get to know Howard better? Why? Despite the circumstances the led to his isolation from his parents and habit of mistreating women, the advice and opinions he was giving were harmful. She really hoped Hunter took note of the fact that she'd only apologized for judging Howard's past…not for speaking the truth on his still pretty crappy way of doing things.

In silence, she cracked eight eggs into a bowl and began to beat them with a fork. She left them where they were and went to check on the bacon.

"Steph?" Hunter asked pointedly. "Would you be willing to do that?"

Stephanie turned and grumbled low enough that Hunter wouldn't be able to hear her as she poured another round of batter into the waffle maker. "I'll give it a shot," she replied. She grabbed the carton of eggs and walked over to put it in the fridge.

Behind her, Hunter clapped his hands once and she heard his chair scrape against the floor. "Excellent," he said. Before she knew what was happening, he'd inserted himself into her path, blocking her from walking further.

Curiously, she arched an eyebrow at him, wondering what he was up to. But her hands automatically rested themselves on his chest when he leaned down and kissed her briefly on the lips. He stood up straight again and grinned at her. "Thanks, Steph."

A fat kid with cavities in a damn candy store. That's exactly what Hunter looked like at this moment. Clearly her actual approval of Howard didn't mean much but the fact that she was willing to try to get to know him, did.

The short kiss – hardly much more than a peck, was just emphasis on Hunter's thank you to her and she knew that. He wasn't using it to try to seduce her or anything. Yet, she was left wanting more. The day before, they'd literally kissed just twice. She'd lost her temper and cut everything short after the first kiss, which was meant to seal the deal of their make-up. The second was more of a "Sorry your brother is a dick" sympathy kiss. She found herself wanting a real kiss. One whose only unspoken message was, "I love and want you."

Hunter turned to leave, but she grabbed his wrist to make him stay put. "Don't go so fast," she told him.

From Hunter's perspective, the glint in her eyes was somewhere between sappy and lustful. Maybe she intended for them to pick up where they left off the night before. He sent her a one-sided smile and moved so that his hands were leaning against the counter and Stephanie was somewhat trapped between him and the surface. "Wouldn't dream of it."

"Hmm, that's good" she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck before leaning up and pressing her lips to his. Because she was already very close to the counter, it didn't take long before her back was against it.

Hunter kept one hand where it was on the counter. With the other, he cupped Stephanie's cheek right before he deepened their kiss.

Stephanie's hands moved downwards, before sneaking up under Hunter's shirt. She clutched at his lower back, drawing his body even closer to hers.

His fingertips danced a slow trail from her face, down to her neck and collarbone. He took his other hand off of the counter for a moment, to untie her robe. His roaming hand landed on her breast, rubbing through the material of her tank top. She let her mind blank while she simply enjoyed the sensation until he squeezed gently.

Feeling herself being rapidly pushed to the point of no return, she inhaled sharply and broke the kiss, completely breathless at this point. "We-we shouldn't," she said unconvincingly. Hell she was having a hard time even believing herself. That was evident in the fact that her hands had yet to stop roaming her husband's body. "What if – what if the kids come down here?"

"They sleep like they're in comas, baby," he said against her neck.

A little moan made its way past her lips as Hunter sucked and licked at the sweet spot between her neck and shoulder. Furthermore, he had moved his hand to give her other breast equal attention.

"The waffles are gonna burn," she said, subconsciously arching her back and giving into him even more.

Blindly, Hunter felt around for the outlet. He had no idea which one the waffle maker was plugged into since he didn't bother to lift his head. So when his hands came across a cord, he yanked it and the other one right near it. Hopefully one of them actually went to the waffle maker. If not, oh well. They'd just deal with the mess and make more batter when they were done.

"The bacon's burning," Stephanie said absently because she could smell a small bit of char.

Hunter pulled his head away for a second, looking to his left at the stove. Sure enough, there was a little smoke coming from the skillet. He moved the whole thing to one of the unlit burners, quickly. "There," he said. "Anything else you want me to do?" He asked teasingly.

"Me," she said seriously before jumping on the counter all on her own.

His deep laughter warmed her heart. Then he stepped in between her legs and planted his hands on her thighs before fusing his lips to hers again. That continued to heat up something else entirely.

Long legs angled themselves around Hunter's waist, before he felt his track pants and boxers being pushed down. He stepped out of the clothing without breaking their kiss, using his feet to kick it someplace unknown to him.

His skillful hands went up her thighs to the end of her boyshorts and he could feel her lift up just enough for him to pull them off, throwing them someplace behind them. He stepped close to her again, brushing his hardness against her entrance. He smiled against her lips at the little shiver and moan she gave in response.

For Stephanie, not only was her most intimate area hot…but it was also undoubtedly wet and practically throbbing with anticipation. Stephanie broke the kiss so that she could look at him. Her eyes had gone from their usual pale blue, to a more vivid and dark one. "I need you. Now," she said impatiently, grabbing him at the base of what would soon be her pleasure.

"And you'll have me," he said thickly as he positioned himself. "Now," he added as he pushed as far her body would allow with one long, smooth stroke. His length was halfway in and he stayed still for a few moments, enjoying the feel of his wife's body clenching his while her hands clutched at his arms.

Maybe he just enjoyed being her prisoner, physically. Smirking at the thought, he gave her a long kiss as he pulled all the way out. He moved his lips across her jaw and down to her neck, wanting to hear her moans and sighs of ecstasy when he pushed all the way back in.

Thirty minutes and four burned pieces of bacon later and the three kids were seated at the table in the far corner of the kitchen. Since Hunter had distracted the hell out of Stephanie, he'd helped her make the eggs and replacement bacon.

Hunter carried a plate full of waffles in one hand and a bowl full of scrambled eggs in the other. Stephanie was currently sitting the freshly cut strawberries and plate of bacon on the table.

"Mommy, why is your face all red?" Jackson asked curiously.

"I-uh-what?" She asked, knowing full well that she was flustered. That happened to her when she'd had sex and felt like someone other than Hunter somehow knew or would find out what she'd just done.

From behind her, Hunter laughed and sidestepped her so that he could place the items on the table.

"Why is your face red?" The little boy asked again. His currently bluish-green eyes were very curious and somewhat confused. At least they weren't accusatory or suspicious.

"Um…um," Stephanie stammered out, taking a seat at the table.

"Your Mom wanted to start the morning off with a bang," Hunter commented as he took a seat at the table. He was trying to keep a serious face, but Stephanie's glare from across the table was way too funny. He knew that if she was closer, she'd most likely kick or swat at him.

Jack's face scrunched up in further confusion. "Daddy, what's that mean?"

"Uh…" Hunter droned out. Damn it, he hadn't thought that far ahead. Now he was regretting somewhat throwing Stephanie under the bus. He glanced at her and shook his head. Her smirk was more than amused and her arms were folded across her chest. "Um, you see it's…uh."

"Working out," Stephanie interrupted. "I was working out."

"Very hard," Hunter added. That was true. While she was bashful about talking about their sex life with outsiders, she was anything but reserved and shy when it came to her physical interaction with him. She was enthusiastic and exciting and he had nothing but total satisfaction with that part of their lives.

"And-and I helped her. Yeah I helped. And that's why my hair was messed up earlier," Hunter said, gesturing to the unruly blond locks cascading around his shoulders. They weren't lying. Having sex did in fact burn calories. Furthermore, it really was Stephanie's fault that his hair had ended up this way. It had been perfectly fine and in a ponytail before she went and took the band out and ran her hands all through it. She hadn't even told him it was messy before he went upstairs to wake up the kids. The first thing out of Jackson's mouth had been an inquiry to the state of his father's hair.

Karmina and Kaycee looked back and forth between their parents. Finally they turned to each other. "They're weird," the girls said in unison.

"All right, no more questions," Hunter declared before him and Stephanie shot themselves in the foot any more. "Everybody eat. You're all probably going to be late for school as it is."

He looked up and saw Stephanie trying not to laugh on her side of the table. Unable to help himself, he smirked and blew her a kiss.

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><p>AN: Also wanted to say that this fic isn't going to be all downhill all the time. That'd be kinda uninteresting to read and wouldn't be very realistic. It's going to be more like a rollercoaster, but following their day to day lives and how small and big things influence how close or how far apart they are at that time. Of course, things will go downhill more and more each time bad shit happens. But for that, you've gotta stay tuned and review to see it play out :-D


	27. Heads Up

This chapter is uncharacteristically short. But I want the next one to focus solely on the dinner interaction and didn't want this little piece to be forgotten if it was included in that nightmare. LOL.

Also, this one's for PunkRockGirl98, for making my awesome fic trailers for "Duality" and "You Found Me" (the links are on my profile page). For those of you following YFM, check out the poll on my profile page and weigh in. I've decided that the poll will stay up until near the story's conclusion! :-D

With that said? Enjoy this prelude and let me know what you think!

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><p>"You did WHAT?" Stephanie tried to say as calmly as possible, but she'd inevitably failed.<p>

"I invited Howard over for dinner tonight," Hunter said.

Stephanie brought a hand to her forehead and rubbed gingerly for a moment. Any minute now and she'd be getting a headache. "Hunter," she said evenly. "Don't you think you should have asked me how I felt about this before you made the invite?"

"It happened on the spur of the moment!" Hunter defended. He'd been on the phone with his brother earlier in the afternoon. They'd been chatting away about nothing of significance, really. Howard was just being his usual self and Hunter was shaking his head at his twin's antics. Howard had mentioned that they should go grab a meal after he got off of work. His brother had a bar in mind, so that they could also get drinks.

Somewhere around that area, Hunter had blurted out that Stephanie had already planned on making dinner this evening and wouldn't mind having one more mouth to feed. After a brief inquiry on Stephanie's cooking skills, Howard accepted the invitation.

Hunter let out a small snort, "Besides, I didn't realize I needed permission to invite a family member over, Stephanie."

Oh fucking hell. And now things would start to slide downhill. He only used her full first name when he was being very serious or when he was pissed off. "Of course you don't need permission," she said in an attempt to diffuse the situation. "I'm just saying you should have given me a heads up."

"Well, what do you think _this _is?" He asked with obvious attitude. He held up a hand for composure even though his wife couldn't see it. "All right, fine. Heads up: Howard is coming for dinner tonight. End of story."

At her desk, Stephanie pushed back from her leather office chair so that she could stand. Her long legs carried her over to her expansive window and she looked out over the city. "Whatever Hunter," she muttered with a shake of her head.

"I don't see why you're getting pissy over this. When we talked this morning you said you'd try to get to know him. Has that changed within the last eight hours?"

"No," she answered immediately, but realized she was stuck between a rock and a hard place. She definitely knew she didn't want Howard over for dinner – at least not this soon. God knows how he'd act around the kids. Even without them as a factor, she had just assumed she'd have some time to get her mind right to be able to deal with Howard to please her husband. Howard was important to Hunter; that much was obvious so there was no sense in fighting that bond. Really, that wasn't ever her intention. All she wanted was for Hunter to use a bit of caution and to not get brainwashed by his brother's womanizing mind games.

But everything negative that left her mouth regarding Howard was met with Hunter accusing her of overreacting or being jealous and selfish. So she'd suck it up and deal. The guy ran a business; he couldn't stay in Connecticut forever. Eventually he would need to return home and then she and Hunter would hopefully go back to being normal.

"So what's the problem then?"

"It's just unexpected, is all. I don't even have enough food for him."

Hunter shrugged. "It's pretty simple; go to the grocery store and buy some more."

Momentarily, she took the phone away from her ear simply so she could stare at it angrily. What was she, a damn servant? She wasn't the one who'd invited another person to dinner without informing her spouse. And simple? Well sure, maybe when you weren't the one who'd been letting salmon fillets marinate all day. The ones that she'd have to go out and purchase just weren't going to taste as delicious and rich in flavor.

Hit with a bright idea, a devious smirk formed on her lips and she was glad that she was separated from Hunter by quite a few miles. Since he was quickly returning to what she deemed, "bastard mode" she would make sure that her husband got the less-marinated piece of fish. It would serve him right for being so rude and inconsiderate. "Fine," she relented.

In the back of her mind, something had been nagging her ever since she found out Howard had wanted to hang out at the beach, the day prior. She could totally picture the scene of this outing in her head, but she wondered if it was accurate. It would help let her know whether or not she was pegging the guy correctly or if her instincts were completely off. "Baby," she said very sweetly to throw him off so he wouldn't question her on why she was going to inquire about her next topic. "You didn't tell me how your day at the beach went," she pointed out lightly.

If her speculation was correct, Howard probably got drunk and hit on girls.

"Nothing much happened. We mostly just lounged around. Howard was drinking beer and girl-watching until he finally decided to go talk to a couple of them. I was talking to you and then I decided to go for a swim."

"Sounds like a good day," she commented with a knowing smile.

"It was cool," Hunter confirmed. "Hey, I gotta go, the kid I'm scouting just walked out."

"Okay. I'll see you at home. Tell Howard dinner will be at six."

"Will do. Later, Steph."

"Later," she returned before ending the call on her cell phone. So, she wasn't off. God help her tonight. If Howard was on his best behavior, she would be fine. Maybe. Like Hunter had said when they first met, Howard's best behavior was probably still fairly awful. She just hoped he didn't say anything crazy in front of her impressionable children. Or that he didn't say anything shitty to her, causing her temper to come bursting out. That certainly wouldn't be pretty.


	28. Oh Honey

This chapter is the result of many reviews, requests, pestering and delirium (lack of sleep, worked overtime today, had evening plans, dirt tired). It maintains that fine line of a serious fight mixed with humor. I hope you all enjoy it - let me know what you think.

For those of you who are concerned about its one-sidedness...Stephanie is screwing up, too it's just in a more subtle way. It'll become more obvious as the fighting increases especially when they finally lay it all out there. Pay VERY good attention to the first few paragraphs it kind of influences what you'll see later :-D

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><p>Hunter wasn't sure how he'd peg the success of this evening. He wasn't entirely sure what all he had expected, but this probably wasn't it. Jackson, Karmina and Kaycee didn't seem to have a problem with Howard, really. They were just being their inquisitive selves, but there was something missing. They just didn't seem…very excited.<p>

Maybe Stephanie was to blame for that. She may have thought that her polite neutrality and indifference was a diplomatic of handling tonight. But it wasn't; not when the kids were probably picking up on it and behaving in a similar way. If their mother didn't care, neither did they.

Fuck, did their father's opinion not count or something? Why did they have to emulate their mother instead? To be honest, it was seriously starting to piss him off. _Stephanie _was pissing him off even though she really wasn't doing anything. That was a large part of the problem: the fact that she wasn't being a very gracious hostess. The kids had seen them entertain guests before and she was certainly more chatty and involved than the shit she was pulling tonight, no doubt. She was probably just angry that he'd made a decision without her for once.

What the woman needed to get through her head was that he was king of the damn castle, so to speak. Was he a tyrant? No. But he certainly deserved to exert his rightful authority more. He wasn't going to be her fucking "yes man" or doormat and if that's what she thought she would get from him, she had another thing coming.

"And that concludes the tour," Hunter announced as he and Howard began to descend the winding staircase.

Howard gave an appreciative whistle, still glancing around as they made their way back downstairs. "Nice digs you and the wife got here."

Hunter laughed for a moment and said, "Thanks."

"I'm starved, man. And thirsty. You guys got any appetizers coming out first or do you at least have anything to drink in this…compound?" Howard complained with a laugh, rubbing his stomach greedily. He was exaggerating about their house being a compound. It was certainly spacious, at five bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms, but according to Hunter it stopped just shy of being considered a mansion. A mansion was determined by square footage, amenities and random rooms such as sitting rooms and possibly theaters. With Hunter and Stephanie's house, there was their master bedroom, Jack's room, the twins' room and two guest bedrooms. One of the guest rooms would be converted into a nursery, when another kid came along. The home office was large and located downstairs, not far off from the living and dining rooms.

Hunter's term for their house was, "modest luxury" which seemed pretty appropriate since the two of them could certainly afford much more. But both were keen on living as normally as possible, while still maintaining a good deal of privacy. They'd wanted amenities, but didn't feel it necessary to go totally over the top.

"Not sure on the appetizers, honestly. Drinks we should have, though," Hunter said, already walking to the kitchen. He poked his head in and called out, "Hey Steph?"

Stephanie closed the door of the oven and pulled the mits from her hands. She turned around, arching an eyebrow at Hunter. "Yeah?"

Hunter jerked his head towards the dining room. "Everyone's hungry," he informed her. He for sure knew that he and Howard were famished. Since picking them up, the kids had only had a small snack. They were probably starving, too. "Are there any appetizers or are you almost done in here?"

"I didn't do any appetizers, but everything will be ready in about five minutes."

Hunter nodded, satisfied at that answer. The kitchen smelled absolutely delightful and he couldn't wait to eat whatever it was she was making. "Howard's thirsty, can you grab him something to drink?"

Stephanie tossed her mits onto the counter and placed a hand on her hip, leaning against the counter. "Why can't you get it?"

"Jesus Christ, Stephanie!" He muttered harshly, entering the kitchen fully.

Baffled, Stephanie's eyes went wide as he basically stomped his way to the refrigerator. She watched him wrench the door open, grabbing a bottle of water from the top shelf. "Why are you mad?"

Hunter held up the bottle of water and wriggled it in front of her face. "Would that have been so hard?" He questioned, slamming the refrigerator door shut. "You were standing like a foot away from the damn fridge." He turned to walk away but Stephanie quickly caught him by the arm

Stephanie was doing her best to keep her irritation in check but she'd be lying if she said it was a success. First, Hunter invites Howard to dinner without letting her know, and then he carelessly tells her to just go to the damn grocery store after work to buy more food to cook. Yes, Hunter was the one who picked up the kids today. But since he was the one who put her in the predicament he could have at least made the offer. She'd likely have refused and volunteered to go to the store, but the fact that he would have been considerate enough to realize the inconvenience would have made her content.

But he hadn't done that. Not only had he done the opposite, but he'd basically been ignoring her shortly after Howard showed up. Before then, he wasn't exactly being affectionate, but she was even more irked now that she had to deal with Howard. It probably didn't help that she was dirt tired and already irritated when she got home. Leaving her alone in the kitchen for an extended period of time was merely allowing her to focus on how much she wanted to throw what was left of the bag of russet potatoes, at Hunter's head.

"I've been in here slaving away on food for the past hour. You should be asking me if I could use some help. But, no. No, instead you want me to grab water and take it to your brother like I'm some kind of servant, when you're not even doing shit? I don't think so."

Hunter openly gaped at her, blinking slowly. "Woman, what is _wrong _with you today?"

"What's wrong with me?" She asked with a bitter chuckle. Hell, she didn't even know where to start. Their small, infrequent problems were rapidly escalating in magnitude and frequency. It had been like this for what, a week? But to be quite honest she was sick of it already. The longer she allowed this crap to continue, the harder it would be to break the pattern later. Plus, this is _not _how she wanted to lead up to her birthday. "I'll tell you what's wrong with me," she declared lowly, not wanting the kids or Howard to overhear their conversation.

Hunter put up his hands in surrender. "Forget it," he decided. "I'll just let you finish up with dinner and we can talk about this later." Quickly, he turned and power-walked back out the way he'd come in. He'd moved too fast for Stephanie to try to stop him again.

"UGGGGHHH!" She groaned, with a flip of her hair, turning back to her task.

After placing the mits back on her hands, she opened the oven and pulled the first baking tray out. Eight russet potatoes, somewhat varying in size, greeted her. She sliced into each of them, backing away a little bit when the steam rose towards her face in one cloud.

Into each potato went some combination of butter, sour cream, chives, cheese and/or bacon bits. Hunter and Howard would each get two of the largest potatoes. Stephanie would take a slightly large potato, Jack would get a medium sized one and the twins would each get a smaller potato. With the way she'd carefully proportioned the servings, she knew there'd be no leftovers. That was wonderful because it meant less work for her.

Next, she pulled the pan of salmon fillets from the oven. Her mouth watered at the aroma that wafted up from them. She could easily spot the fillet that was going to be Hunter's because of the slight variation in color. The other fillets had marinated in a combination of honey and herbs all day and thusly had an almost invisible, honey-colored tint. Hunter's was just pink all the way around. A toothy smile graced her face as she transferred his piece from the pan to his plate.

A mere five minutes later, it was Howard who spoke up. "Damn!" He exclaimed. "This is delicious! I can pick out some of the seasonings, but what's making it just a little bit sweet?" He asked, waving his fork, which currently had a piece of salmon attached to it.

Stephanie grinned at her husband's twin. "It's honey, actually. I'm glad you like it."

Hunter scrunched up his nose, bringing his piece of fish closer so he could scrutinize it. "I don't taste any honey."

At least one of the tall, muscular blondes was being appreciative tonight. It just wasn't the one that she'd expected it to be. Because she made it a point never to outright lie to Hunter, she simply shrugged as a form of response.

"It's really good, Stephanie. Thanks for letting me join in tonight," he commented politely.

Manners. Howard actually had table manners. Meanwhile Hunter's seemed to have gone right out of the window since he was now sniffing his fillet, trying to find any traces of honey. To be fair, he really didn't have any honey…but that wasn't the point. "You're most welcome, Howard."

"It's reallllllly good, Mommy. I taste the honey," Jackson said before happily shoving a forkful of potato into his mouth.

"Me too, Mommy!" Kaycee added.

"Me three!" Karmina added with a giggle.

Stephanie laughed and turned her gaze over to a sulking Hunter. He was eating, but he was clearly disappointed in the fact that everyone could taste what he just couldn't. She beamed a smile at him. "You know, Hunter…I did marinate these all day. Maybe yours doesn't taste the same because you got the piece I bought after work."

"Uh huh," he said. "Or maybe you just didn't give me any honey," he said lightly, but his eyes were narrowed and full of accusation.

"Now why would I do that?" She asked innocently.

Hunter wasn't fooled by her at all. She may have thought she looked angelic, but her eyes were giving her away. Plus, he could see the corners of her mouth twitching upwards because she wanted to laugh at her little prank – if you could call it that. She'd make an awful poker player because she couldn't bluff worth a damn.

Instead of answering Stephanie, he turned his attention to Howard. "So," he said, to signal he was done with his wife for the moment. "What'd you get up to today?"

"Dude." Howard said, pausing as if that one word was at the very heart of his story. "The hot broads from the beach took me out."

"Come again?" Hunter asked with a puzzled frown.

Howard nodded emphatically, spearing a white mushroom with his fork. "Yup. Called me up, picked me up, took me out to eat and paid for everything. They're roommates actually. So afterwards they invited me up to their place and oh my God, Hunter! These hoes were fuckin' wild!"

"All righty! Kids?" Stephanie interrupted, placing her utensils aside. At this point she was thanking her lucky stars that each of them was too focused on their meal to be paying the adult conversations much attention. But she still wanted them out of the room before one of them heard something that they shouldn't. She waited patiently until each child looked over at her. "I want you three to go eat upstairs in Mommy and Daddy's room, okay?"

"Why Mommy?" Karmina asked.

"Reesie, it's grown up stuff, okay?

Jackson shrugged and grabbed his plate. "Can we watch tv?"

"Sure," Stephanie answered with slight smile.

"Are you staying down here, Mommy?" Kaycee asked, with an actual pout on her lips.

"Sam, I'll come up with you guys in a little bit."

Karmina and Kaycee both seemed appeased by that answer. The girls grabbed their plates and slid down from their chairs, following their big brother towards the staircase.

Complete silence descended over the table as the three adults listened to the small footsteps gradually ease out of earshot.

It was Hunter who spoke first. "What did you do that for?" He asked, with a bit of an attitude. "I want them to get to know their uncle."

Stephanie stared at him for a moment. "Are you _shitting _me right now? I ignored it when he said, 'damn' but now he's talking about bitches and hoes and saying the word 'fuck' in front of my six and four year olds. Do you honestly have to ask me why I wanted them out of the room?"

Howard shrugged. He didn't exactly mean to curse in front of the kids. He just wasn't used to kids being around. How the hell was he supposed to know he should censor himself? Someone should have warned him or something. He had no idea Stephanie sheltered the children from the real world so much. People all over the world said far worse things than him. "Well…" he started. "I don't recall using the word 'bitches' but even still. You can't protect them forever. They're gonna hear these words sometime," he said with a shrug.

"I'm not an idiot," she clarified. "I know all of that, but that doesn't mean they need to or should hear it at this age. I don't want my kids talking like that, for as long as I can help it. They're _my _children not yours, so _you _don't get to decide when they get exposed to what."

"They're my kids, too, Stephanie!" Hunter interrupted. "Or have you forgotten that entirely?"

"Tell me you are not seriously siding with the bullshit he just said?" Stephanie requested, waving an arm in the air.

"He's right you know," Hunter said nonchalantly.

Stephanie laughed resentfully and stood up from the chair. "So you're telling me that you'd like us to start using profanity in their presence?"

Hunter stood up to face her and sighed in frustration. "Must you always put words in my mouth? That's not what I said at all. I'm saying it was just a slip of the tongue and it's not a big deal. He didn't do it on purpose so just take it down a fucking notch!"

Stephanie pointed a well-manicured finger at him. "And that…THAT is why your salmon had no honey!" She hissed out, grabbing her plate and furiously heading upstairs to their bedroom.

After hearing her angry footsteps hit the landing on the second floor, Howard cleared his throat awkwardly. "Soooo, like I was saying. The girls – fuck if I know what their names are anymore – were super wild, dude. Best. Threesome. Ever. I didn't know freaks like that lived in Greenwich; maybe I live on the wrong side of the state line."

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><p>It's about 2am my time. Best part about late night updates? You all get to wake up to new fic and I get to wake up to reviews. LOL.<p> 


	29. Firecracker

You can all thank punkrockgirl98 for getting me cracking on the next chapter of this so soon. You can also thank her for the amount of fighting plus the rejection at the end (totally throwing you under the bus for this chapter, girl bahaha) lol. Stayed up til past 1 writing it...so if there's typos I do apologize. Let me know what you think...this chapter is pretty long and there's a lot to take in. But there just wasn't a good place to split this thing up, IMO. Enjoy!

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><p>"Has it really been a week already, man?" Hunter asked with wide eyes as he walked with Howard towards the front door.<p>

"Sad to say but yes," Howard said. "My mini-vacation is over. I'd call it a spring break if this wasn't the middle of September," he joked lightly. That's pretty much how he'd behaved; like he was in college on spring break. He'd been drinking, partying and earning a few more notches on his belt. Granted, he wasn't much different when he was in his hometown…but he'd amplified it a bit since he had no responsibilities while he'd taken the time off.

Tomorrow afternoon, Howard planned to go back to New York. Today marked the sixth day that he'd been in Greenwich. But for Hunter it didn't feel that way simply because he'd only met his brother three days ago. Of course, he understood and was fine with Howard leaving. The guy had a business to run, plus it wasn't like New York was all that far.

Hunter laughed at the joke but he nodded to signify that he agreed with that assessment. "You're welcome here anytime, ya know."

Howard smirked a little and jerked his head towards the staircase. "Don't let the wife hear you saying that. She probably wouldn't agree with that."

A dismissive wave of his hand was Hunter's initial response. "Ah, forget about her. She's probably calmed down by now."

"Hmm. You know, the couple of times I met her, she seemed kind of conservative and mild-mannered and shit. I figured that maybe she must be using that as some act to manipulate stuff behind the scenes. You know like a sympathy, 'you're making me sad, stop it' kind of thing."

A low chuckle made its way past Hunter's lips. He already knew that Howard was about to say he'd pegged Stephanie very incorrectly. What he'd just described was the polar opposite of his wife. Sure, in public she was similar to that. But it's only because she wasn't one to cause a scene in front of strangers. For the most part, they were out of the limelight…but she still didn't want to give any tabloids any dirt they could use to smear her redeemed reputation. She had children that may see the stuff. Plus, she had to consider the fact that one day she'd very likely be running the entire company, as her mother and father's successor. She was keen on keeping a relatively low profile.

"So what do you think now, then?"

"Total firecracker, dude. I wasn't expecting any of that. I wanted to laugh my ass off when she said, 'bitches and hoes' it sounded like she should be a pimp."

The image of Stephanie dressed in bright purple and green, with a matching feathered hat, large gold jewelry and a brightly colored low-rider popped into Hunter's mind. He imagined her threatening to slap people with baby powder and asking where her money was. It was a fucking hilarious image, and his outward laughter proved it. "Oh my God. Priceless," he commented without elaboration.

After the hilarity died off, Howard pulled open the front door. It was a beautiful, slightly warm night out. It would be perfect for an evening stroll or a night hanging out along the coastline. "Tell the family I said sayonara."

"That's goodbye, right?" Hunter asked with a slightly puzzled frown. He knew for sure he'd heard the saying before but couldn't remember where.

"Sure is. I don't fuckin' know the Japanese word for 'see ya later' though."

Hunter chuckled. "Fair enough." He stepped out onto the porch, bent down and lifted up the potted plant that was on the side. His fingers closed around the spare key to the front door. He straightened again and held out the key to Howard. "Take this. You've already got the gate code so just drop by whenever."

Howard eyed his brother speculatively, but reached out and took the key. He held it up and asked, "You sure that's cool?"

Shoulders lifted casually. "Yeah. You're family…Steph's brother Shane has a key. So why the hell not?"

"All right," Howard said, stuffing the key into his back pocket. "I'll catch ya later."

The brothers shook hands and turned it into a casual, friendly hug. When Howard made it to his car, Hunter closed the door over and looked towards the stairs.

At least Howard had been nice enough – after Stephanie's uncalled for outburst – to give her a farewell. Meanwhile, they hadn't heard a fucking peep from the woman since she stormed off. She hadn't even had the kids come down to say goodnight. It was well past ten, so Hunter suspected she'd already put them to bed. He'd lost track of time while hanging out with Howard. Would it have been so damn hard for her to remind him of the time and invite them up to say goodnight?

Reaching the landing at the top of the staircase, Hunter turned left and headed down the hallway. He stopped at the first closed door – Jack's room. Cautiously, he pushed the door open and felt both a wave of joy and irritation. He felt joyful because he really did have amazing children. Seeing his son sprawled out diagonally across the bed with his brown hair all over the place was just too cute.

The irritation he felt was solely reserved for the boy's mother, who'd ruined his opportunity to put his children to bed. Because of the separation and his one crazy night out with Howard, he'd literally put them to bed just once in an entire week. To say it pissed him off was an understatement.

As a woman, surely Stephanie had picked up on that little detail. Yet she'd still chosen to basically punish him and put the kids down for the night, without a single solitary word to him.

Screw it, he wasn't even going to bother seeing if Karmina and Kaycee were out, also. He already knew the answer to that one. Instead, he headed down the hallway towards his own bedroom. He pushed the door open, preparing to lay into Stephanie.

But the sight of her sleeping form made the words stay inside of his already open mouth. Okay, so he wouldn't begin by yelling. Likely, she hadn't been out for more than half an hour. So if he woke her up, she'd easily fall back asleep anyway. Hell, she was probably in that weird state between conscious and unconscious anyway.

Pushing the door closed, he made his way to the chest of drawers to retrieve something to sleep in. With any luck, the sound of his movements would wake her up and then he wouldn't feel like as much of an asshole for starting what would more than likely turn into an argument.

Not that he gave a fuck. In fact, he was going to start voicing his dislike for more shit around here.

The damn drapes in the living room? He fucking hated them. He hated the color, he hated the pattern. Stephanie loved it. Of course, she'd brought him along on the shopping trip. She'd asked his opinion. And he'd basically told her to buy what the hell ever she wanted. He would be fine with it.

Except that he wasn't. He wanted to ask if she'd picked – from his view – the most atrocious looking drapes simply as a way to test his flexibility on the matter. But he hadn't. He'd kept his mouth shut and been forced to look at the ugly fucking things day in and day out for the last year.

As he pulled on a pair of pajama pants, he stewed some more. Take the fucking chaise lounge for example. He wanted a damn couch in their room. Yet when Stephanie's excited blue eyes spotted the large chair, he hadn't told her no. He hadn't said that the couch would be more comfortable.

They could have fucking compromised by buying both items, he thought to himself, as he walked to the bathroom to dump his clothes in the hamper.

But no. No, instead he'd fully supported this joint purchase of hers and hadn't said a damn word.

Angrily, he tossed back the sheet and nearly jumped into the bed beside her. He smiled when Stephanie jerked out of her light sleep, but quickly hid it when she raised her head to look at him.

"Mmm. Hey," she greeted with a yawn.

"'Sup?" He asked informally.

Stephanie cocked an eyebrow at him, running a hand through her hair as she moved to prop herself up on one elbow. What was up his ass? He looked pissed. And he literally never greeted her with that half-phrase. "Nothing," she said slowly, stretching out every syllable. "I take it you're done visiting with Howard?"

"Yeah he's gone. Would have been nice if he'd been able to say bye to the kids and if I'd been able to tuck them in," he commented snidely.

Stephanie shrugged. "I didn't want to disturb you guys. You sounded deep in conversation."

Whatever the hell that meant, she thought. From what she knew, Howard was about as deep as a puddle of water. She wasn't judging him at all; that was just her observation so far. Either way, it sounded like they'd been having a great time so she just figured she'd get the kiddos set for the night and then head to sleep herself. It didn't seem like a problem at the time. In her mind, she'd been freeing up Hunter so he could hang out with his brother.

Apparently Hunter didn't seem to agree. He was looking at her like she'd just committed some mortal sin.

"Like you give a damn," he said flippantly. "If you don't like him that's fine…but to try to keep our kids – _my _kids away from him as a form of punishing me is unacceptable."

The sheets rustled as Stephanie sat up in bed so that she was mostly on eye level with her husband. Her eyebrows were drawn together in complete confusion. "Hunter, I say this in all seriousness…but what the hell are you talking about? I didn't try to keep anybody from anything. I only had them go upstairs because of the cursing."

Accusingly, he pointed a finger at Stephanie. "For a week I've only been able to put them to bed once, Steph! Seven fucking days and last night was the only night I got to tuck them in! And you purposely robbed me of tonight just because you were pissed that I invited Howard over without your permission!"

"I didn't purposely rob you of any damn thing. I thought I was being considerate. And whose fault is it that you haven't gotten them off to bed? You could have put them to bed the night before last, had you not been getting drunk at a strip club all night."

"Back to that again, are we?" He asked.

Stephanie shook her head. "I'm over it. It's like beating a dead horse. I'm just pointing out a fact."

"Then I guess I'll point out that on the other nights I'd have been here if it wasn't for you kicking me out."

Stephanie sighed and rolled her eyes. Again, they were having an utterly ridiculous fight. Now that it had taken this particular turn, she knew for certain that it'd go nowhere. She'd apologized for this at least ten times already. She'd be damned if she'd do it again especially when Hunter was clearly just being petty and trying to throw whatever he could at her just so he could have the last word.

Holding up a hand, she turned her gaze away from him. "Whatever, Hunter."

Instead of her gesture and comment diffusing the situation, it somehow made him even angrier. He was utterly tired of Stephanie deciding everything. And he was disgusted with himself for just going along with it. What _he _had decided was that she wouldn't be getting her way on anything he had a problem with. Starting right now, with this conversation.

This chat of theirs wasn't over until he said it was. She wouldn't just put up her hand and write him off with that one damn word. Against his own will, it seemed, his teeth clenched. "I'm not done talking to you so I'd appreciate it if you'd stop being disrespectful."

Turning her head because of the absolute iciness in his tone, her eyes locked with his.

In silence, she appraised him. There was no mistaking the fact that he was…well…pissed. Why he was so angry with her, she wasn't sure. Even with the recent fighting, it had been a long time since she'd seen him look this way at anyone…let alone her.

"This conversation isn't over just because you say it is," he declared.

"O…kay," she said slowly, knowing that her face looked confused again. "I didn't say it was and I wasn't trying to be disres-"

"I'm pretty sure I was talking," he interrupted.

Stephanie shut her mouth and closed her eyes tightly for a moment. Controlling her temper was going to be key here. Hunter was already pissed – for what exactly, she had no idea. But if she got outraged right along with him, it was sure to end up badly.

It had been years since she'd thrown something at him in a fit of anger, but if this shit continued, she wasn't sure she'd be able to help herself. Expelling a tense breath, she gestured for him to continue.

"The next time he's over," Hunter began slowly.

Taking note of the fact that Hunter was speaking in absolutes and not hypotheticals, she lifted her chin the slightest bit. Did she have a problem with Howard coming over? No. In fact, he wasn't that bad to be around. As long as he controlled his foul mouth in front of the children, she was fine with him hanging around. But still. She fucking lived here, too. The least Hunter could do was pretend to care that she had some say in the matter.

"You will _not _cart the kids off before it's time for them to get ready for bed. You will not put them down to sleep until they say bye to their uncle and goodnight to me. If I say you can tuck them in without me, fine. But I still want you to let me know what's going on so I can decide whether or not to come upstairs, too."

Biting her bottom lip for a moment, Stephanie gave a reluctant nod. Again, none of his requests were problematic. The only thing she was taking an issue with was the way he was dictating shit to her, talking to her like she was hired help and not his wife and mother of his children.

From her standpoint, he wasn't requesting anything…he was demanding. And she'd had just about enough of him and his recently shitty attitude for tonight.

She nodded to his "suggestions." That's how she was going to make herself see his orders, otherwise she was sure to launch into a rant of cursing. "Okay," she agreed. "Since you feel like making all the decisions tonight – you can decide where the hell you're gonna sleep. It damn sure won't be next to me!"

A little smirk crossed her husband's lips and at that moment she truly felt like slapping it off of his currently frustratingly handsome face. "I don't have a problem with sleeping next to you, dear," he said in a falsely sweet tone. "Since you seem to have a problem, I'm going to suggest that _you _find somewhere else to sleep. Perhaps the chaise lounge that you passed on the spacious couch for?"

Rather than reply to him – she wasn't even sure where that quip about the chair and couch had come from – she simply threw the sheet from the bed and grabbed her pillow. In a huff, she damn near stomped over to the chaise lounge and plopped down onto it, the movement releasing air from the soft cushions. Yanking the cover from the headrest, she pulled it over her body and settled in somewhat awkwardly.

Just on principle, she'd have stormed downstairs…but this was her damn room, too. Plus, she was way too tired to descend the stairs again. It was entirely too much effort.

Hunter watched her movements – and not because of the fact she was wearing a pair of cartoon themed boxers and a baby tee - and felt a twinge of regret. Other than during the separation and drunk night out, they hadn't slept apart in literally four years. They rarely had to go more than a couple of hours away from home for business, which meant that they were always able to share the same bed. While Hunter had still been actively wrestling, they slept together whenever it was possible. Only being physically separated by hundreds of miles kept them apart.

The fact that tonight they were apparently choosing to sleep apart was kind of sucking. Worse, was that Stephanie was still in the room. That alone conveyed how wrong tonight had gone. She was so close yet so far. But he couldn't bring himself to ask her to come back to bed. His anger had now subsided considerably and he was realizing he'd kind of been a dick. Not that he really knew exactly why.

Certainly, Stephanie's anger hadn't gone anywhere. The rise and fall of her body told him that she was just barely keeping a lid on her temper. Well, at least one of them had enough good sense to know when to be quiet to avoid making things worse.

"Stop looking at me!" Stephanie muttered out in annoyance. She could just somehow feel his eyes on her. All she wanted to do was sleep. Knowing that he was gauging her reaction and staring at her was a major distraction.

The sheets rustled again as Hunter settled down into the bed. He tapped the bedside lamp until it went out, leaving the room illuminated only by the night sky.

Restlessly, Hunter tossed and turned sometime later. He glanced over at the digital clock, reading that it was a bit past midnight. This was…crazy, he concluded. It was undesirable and unacceptable. They shouldn't be sleeping in different places – certainly not when Stephanie was literally just ten feet away from him. He glanced over and saw the way she was positioned. She was sound asleep but really didn't look very comfortable. Not with the way her legs were curled up and her neck was tilted. She'd probably be sore in the morning.

Unless…

Soundlessly, Hunter slipped from underneath the covers. He slowly approached the chaise lounge, peeking over Stephanie's body to confirm that she was in fact sleeping. Without giving another thought to it, he slipped his arms underneath her body gently and carefully picked her up.

In her sleep, she let out a sigh and somewhat curled into his chest. He walked to her side of the bed and placed her down, pulling the sheet up enough so that it covered her bare legs. He went to the other side of the bed and climbed in beside her, but made sure that he didn't get too close. The last thing he wanted was for her to physically assault him if she was having some dream about their fight or something.

"Hmm…" she moaned sleepily. "Hunter?" She asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"Shh," he soothed without coming any closer to her. "Go back to sleep, Steph."

"Kay," she agreed deliriously.

Lowly, Hunter chuckled, not wanting to wake her up any further. His breath caught in his throat when an obviously dazed Stephanie scooted up beside him and ran her hand up and down his chest.

That was one of his weak spots, damn it. There was just something about the way her hands felt on his chest that drove him wild. At this rate, it was going to be a really long night. He would try his best to just ignore the situation and get some rest.

Hours later, the weak sunlight filled the room and made Hunter let out a sleepy yawn. Glancing down, he couldn't help but smile at the sight of Stephanie. Her head now rested against his chest, her brown hair was tickling his skin as usual and she looked completely at ease. Her dark eyelashes rested against her cheeks and the corners of her mouth were slightly turned up.

The woman was taking his breath away without even trying, as she so often did. He fucking loved her, plain and simple. Sometimes so much that it just made him stupid and irrational, it seemed.

Last night's fight didn't even matter to him anymore. It was absurd and childish…and now he felt really shitty about it. He felt like she was slowly but surely slipping away from him. She was confused as hell about his recent behavior and that was mostly his fault. But he was confused himself. He hadn't yet pinpointed what was going on inside of his mind but his instinctive reaction was to push Stephanie away.

Until he would somewhat succeed…and then he panicked and quickly tried to draw her back in before she decide to hell with him. He felt that now. He was overcome with an urgent need to express just how much he loved her. He didn't trust himself to speak. She might wake up and still be mad and he didn't know how he'd react verbally.

So he'd…show her how felt, for lack of a better description.

Slowly, he shifted them both until she was lying on her side. He placed a hand on her waist and rubbed softly as he lips went to her neck. The kisses were open-mouthed and feather-light, with his tongue slipping out to taste her every so often.

"Mmm, that's nice," she commented after a couple of minutes. She was still mostly out of it.

Without warning, she moved one of her legs over his. And he kind of lost control. He yanked her closer to him, pressing his lips harder into her skin.

"What the-" her voice suddenly said.

Feeling her pull away sharply, Hunter frowned.

Stephanie sat up in bed and immediately started scolding him. "If you think you can just crawl into the chair with me and seduce me in my sleep, you've got another thing coming, buddy! Sex is not going to fix this shit! You were a complete and total asshole last night; I slept in the god damn chair because of you!"

Now he was angry. Hunter jumped out of bed and gave her the same amount of attitude. "I'm sorry for last night and I wanted to show you, all right? Fuck, Steph," he said in exhaustion. "No need to bite my head off…but don't worry I won't be trying _that _ever again!" He muttered.

Stephanie's suspicious blue eyes watched him stalk into the bathroom. She cringed at the vibration from the slamming of the door and at the click of the lock.

She shifted her body…and the sound of rustling made her confused. She looked down and instantly felt bad.

"He put me in the bed," she realized out loud.

Stephanie sulked as she heard the shower turn on. So she hadn't slept in the chair. Sometime during the night he'd been considerate enough to put her back in their bed where she belonged.

One fuck up after another. She rubbed her forehead tensely at the best way she knew how to describe what was quickly becoming the pattern of their marriage.


	30. Buried Alive

You may thank punkrockgirl98...who felt that I should incorporate "Grrrr" into this chapter somehow. LOL. This one is mostly somber and sad, but does offer some hope and humor towards the end. There's a lot of details going on. Lots of stuff that'll be relevant in later chapters. Sooooo enjoy and let me know what you think! I've gotta get these out while the muses keep filling my head with scenes hahaha.

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><p>Inside the shower, Hunter stood in front of the pulsating spray of water, simply allowing it to rain down over his face and body. He was hoping that it would help clear his mind so that he could think. Something was going very wrong between him and Stephanie…and given that she hadn't changed very much he knew that it was him who was going through some things.<p>

He'd tell her what it was, if he had the words. But he didn't. He couldn't form any complete thoughts simply because he was blocking himself from the entirety of the truth. He didn't want to be one to hold grudges. So when his instincts pointed out that some of this had to do with what happened between them six years ago, he forced himself to stop that train of thought.

A lot of good it was doing; the two of them were fighting like cats and dogs recently.

Thus far, the water really wasn't helping at all. He just kept replaying the last few days over and over in his mind. He'd seen fewer smiles on his wife's face and more confusion and anger. It couldn't possibly be a good signal. No, he knew that their marriage was rapidly deteriorating and he hadn't been doing a damn thing to stop it. Instead he was either contributing or just burying his damn head in the sand.

Hunter expelled a tense breath. This wasn't what he needed. After a quick wash-up he would head downstairs to the gym. When a hot shower failed to help him think, pounding the heavy bag or lifting some weights did the trick.

Still sitting on the bed, Stephanie bit down on her lip and finally decided to get up. At the very least, she would apologize for freaking out on Hunter this morning. As much as she wanted to stay angry with him for last night, she really couldn't. His sweet gesture didn't change the awful things he'd said to her, but it did show her that he'd reconsidered.

Maybe now that they'd both calmed down, they could talk about what happened and the conversation would remain civil. Both of them were rather hotheaded and stubborn, to be honest. But she was able to keep a lid on it, to an extent. She could be steaming mad and not say a damn word. Hunter, on the other hand? If he was angry, it had to come out immediately. He'd apologize later if it was necessary but he was never one to be able to hold his anger inside for longer than thirty seconds. Stephanie preferred to control herself, to avoid saying something that she may regret.

Their fight wasn't at all normal. But his middle-of-the-night kindness and attempt to smooth things over this morning was classic Hunter. What she had to figure out was what was going wrong between them. Their fights over the last week had been more tense and serious than those they'd had over the last six years, entirely.

Throwing her long, lean legs from under the sheet, she stood up and headed for the bathroom door. She was fairly certain she had heard him lock the door after he slammed it shut. But it couldn't hurt to try, right? Her hand inched out and grabbed the doorknob. She twisted it and frowned at the fact that it was indeed locked. That was something he almost never did because there was always a chance that she'd join him.

Which means that for whatever reason, he wanted to make sure that he stayed totally alone in there. Well, she'd give him his space to calm down. Meanwhile, she would make him some breakfast.

A little ironic smile formed on her lips. Apology breakfasts seemed to be her new thing. But first she'd head down the hall towards the kids' bathroom.

With a towel wrapped around his waist, Hunter unlocked and yanked open the bathroom door. He poked his head out and wasn't sure what he felt at the fact that Stephanie was nowhere to be seen. Well, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It would save him from having to explain himself before he had an actual explanation. He shrugged and headed over to his side of the closet, pulling out what he needed for his workout.

He jogged down the winding staircase in shorts and socks, but he was barefoot and shirtless. The sun was still pretty low, casting dim lighting throughout the house. He grabbed a pair of tennis shoes from the closet by the staircase and pulled them on before continuing on. Sliding open the backyard door, he was almost immediately attacked by Max and Bailey.

"Hey guys!" He greeted with a chuckle. Max had his front paws planted on Hunter's thighs. His ears twitched in satisfaction when Hunter scratched behind them. The happy dog put his paws back down and sat at Hunter's feet, wagging his tail.

Hunter crouched down to rub Bailey's fur. The little white dog turned in excited circles before finally lying down, completely content.

Now that the pets had received their attention from him, Hunter walked on, passing by the pool until he reached the house that wasn't very far from it. He opened the door and stepped inside what he and Stephanie had turned into a rather impressive home gym. He headed over to the wall and grabbed his pair of hand wraps and black boxing gloves from the hook. The smaller pair of pink boxing gloves stared at him somewhat ominously.

That was ridiculous, but he'd swear that's what was happening. Were they trying to warn him of an upcoming fight between him and his wife? Or maybe they were trying to remind him to think of the ones that had already happened?

Who the hell knew? Hunter dismissed the train of thought as he finished wrapping his hands. He slid the boxing gloves on and immediately started punching away at the heavy bag. Jabs, hooks, uppercuts, straights, lefts, rights, combinations – he knocked the bag around like it was his worst enemy. If he ever felt like it, he could probably be a boxer. He was surprisingly quick on his feet, for such a large guy. And he was definitely a hard and precise hitter.

He had no idea how long he'd been going at it, when more light filled the spacious area, followed by the sound of the door closing.

"Figured that this is where I'd find you," Stephanie said.

Hunter said nothing…because he had no idea how to respond to her. She hadn't asked a question; simply made her observation out loud. He gave the bag one final right hook before he was satisfied. He pulled the gloves off, tossing them to the side before he began unwrapping his hands.

Behind him, Stephanie nodded once, to herself. Clearly he wasn't going to make this all that easy for her. As she approached him, her pace was deliberately slow. Hell, she didn't even know where to begin the conversation that they so desperately needed to have.

Sullen blue eyes watched the muscles in Hunter's back and arms contract and move as he toweled off the sheen of sweat he'd accumulated during his sparring session with the bag. He turned around and acknowledged her with a small lift of his head, before he headed across the house to drop down onto the workout bench. He lay down and unhooked the heavy barbell before beginning his set.

Christ, he was strong. She gawked at him while he pushed the three-hundred pound plus weight up and down in incredibly controlled motions. This was only a fraction of what he could actually lift. They'd worked out together on more occasions than she could count, so she knew that if he was only doing one rep, he would tack on another hundred pounds, at minimum.

The weights clanked when Hunter placed the bar back in its resting spot.

"Can we talk?" She asked.

Already, her defenses were going up. She was prepared for some sarcastic or ice cold response from him. What came out of his mouth was actually a shock to her.

"Sure," he said, sitting up on the bench and giving her his full attention.

Go figure. He was stopping his workout for her, even though they were far from okay and had just had a fight this morning.

But hell. Now she didn't know how to handle this. She guessed that an apology might be a decent place, though. It'd probably keep things peaceful for longer. She took a seat across from him, on the flat, crunch bench. "I'm sorry about this morning. I appreciate you putting me in the bed…it was very sweet and considerate of you."

Hunter nodded and gave her a ghost of a smile. "You're welcome."

Nervously, Stephanie twisted the rings that adorned her left hand. Rings that symbolized the love shared between them. She knew that she was still hopelessly in love with Hunter. But she wasn't so sure that he still felt that for her. It was the only explanation she could come up with for his recent behavior. With hard work, surely they could get it back. But he had to be willing to be honest with her.

"I want to ask you something and I really need a serious answer. I won't get mad or flip out on you, whatever your answer is. I promise."

He nodded again, except this time the smile disappeared and was replaced by an apprehensive look. He didn't like her little disclaimer one bit. This talk of hers was headed nowhere good, he could feel it. Maybe she'd had enough of him behaving so horribly and she wanted out. Fuck, why didn't he try to sort himself out sooner?

"Have you fallen out of love with me?"

For what seemed like forever, he sat in stunned silence and just blinked at her. Did she really just say what he thought she had? Had he fallen out of love with her? What the hell? That was a laugh. If anything, he was a victim of his extraordinarily deep feelings for her.

Her eyebrows drew together in concern. "Hunter?" She asked.

Perhaps he should say something here. Behaving like he'd gone mute probably wasn't dissuading her assumption. "That's in – it's - I mean…ughhh," he groaned in frustration and rubbed at his forehead. "No," he said simply. "I have not fallen out of love with you."

"Okay," she said. "So…you're still in love with me and I'm definitely still in love with you. I'm stumped as to what's going wrong between us."

Now. He had to do this now. Obviously he couldn't keep what he'd figured out to himself. It was damaging their relationship and clearly hurting Stephanie. She looked so sad because she couldn't understand what was happening to them. If he told her, they could work through it. Or something. Whatever the consequences, it couldn't be as bad as having her assume that he didn't want her anymore. That couldn't be farther from the truth and she needed to know that. "Stephanie," he said with a sigh. "When we got back together six years ago, I gave you time, space…I tried to give you whatever you wanted of me."

She nodded, but felt confused. It felt like that had happened so long ago that it wasn't relevant to today. But she'd continue listening anyway.

"I never really stopped doing that even once we were good again. It didn't matter whether it was something big or small…I just gave you what you wanted even if I didn't agree or like it."

"Why?"

Hunter shrugged. "Fear. I was worried that if I disagreed with you too much, I'd lose you."

"That's…I-I'm really not sure what to say except that I'm sorry I didn't pick up on that and sorry if I did or said anything to make you feel that way."

"It wasn't you; it was me. I know that sounds cliché but I mean it. I thought that if I just went along with whatever you wanted, it'd make you happy and keep you around."

Stephanie shook her head. "I love you; that's why I stay around. I want you to be happy, too…I'm capable of compromising on some things, you know. Judging by our recent fighting I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that you got mad when you realized what you were doing?"

"No," he said with a small smile. That was logical…and she was close. Hell, he even wished that was the case. But no. Unfortunately, it went a little deeper than that. "I realized that it wasn't enough," he admitted.

"Huh? What's not enough?"

"Giving you everything you want of me. Even if I sacrifice my own desires in favor of yours, it's still not enough. Our marriage might fail anyway."

"You shouldn't be the one making sacrifices all the time. And I don't want our marriage to be over, that's why I'm here and desperately trying to understand what it is you're telling me." Bewildered, she shook her head. "I gotta tell you, I'm still confused."

"The separation – the whole seeing Howard and thinking he was me thing – was a wakeup call. It proved to me that even if I do everything 'right' or your way, there's the very real possibility that you'll _still _end us." And that was fucking scary. Stephanie just didn't comprehend the power that she had over him. He didn't break down into a fit of hysterics while they were separated; he knew that he'd done nothing wrong and hoped she'd eventually see that for herself. But he did feel utterly useless.

Essentially, she'd shut him out of her life. There was no discussion on who would stay in the house, what parent the kids would stay with or how they'd be getting to and from school. Stephanie had decided that she'd be the one getting and doing all of that. He'd had to take the initiative to help out. She'd been…functional. Meanwhile he'd been lost and desperate, with a hole in his heart. He wished he could say that it had been filled, but there were still small punctures that were continuing to mess him up.

He was finding that the more days that passed, the more those little lacerations tried to suck in past shit that had gone on.

"Hunter I'm so sorry for that, I-"

He held up a hand so that he could continue voicing his feelings. "I know that, Steph. I know that you're sorry and that it was such an unlikely situation." He shrugged. "But that hasn't changed how I feel. You don't know how much I wish it did. I've tried to move on since it was a short separation and because you genuinely believed that I'd wronged you. I've tried to stop thinking up six years' worth of stuff that we didn't get or places we didn't go or try because you didn't want to…but now I'm bitter about it because it didn't guarantee anything. I've tried to just bury it all. You know? But when you bury things alive, they're bound to come up again."

Stephanie rubbed her hands over her face. It was the only thing she could do to keep herself from crying. Hunter was opening up, but he may stop if he saw that it was making her upset. She knew that she'd hurt him when she kicked him out. But it didn't even occur to her that she'd basically shaken their marriage down to its very core.

Basically, the summary of what Hunter was saying was that he'd lost his faith that their marriage would last forever. Well, he'd lost his belief that _she _would be with him until the afterlife separated them.

Not that she blamed him at all. She could see why he felt that way. But her new focus was on proving to him that he was wrong; they would be together for their rest of their lives as long as they remained loving and faithful to one another. But that was the heart of the problem: Hunter had been nothing but loving and faithful and she'd blown up their marriage anyway.

"So what do we do now? What can I do to help you trust me again?"

Hunter reached across the space between them and grabbed her left hand. He gripped it tightly in his and practically touched her soul with his eyes. He swallowed hard. "I don't know," he admitted.

And somehow, with those three words, she felt more hopeless than she did when she thought that he'd maybe fallen out of love with her.

"Time, love, effort," he suggested, using his free hand to wipe away the few tears that had fallen from her eyes. "Don't give up on us. Please," he requested.

Stephanie nodded and took a shaky breath. "I won't, but I need you to work with me."

"Okay," he agreed with a gentle smile before releasing her.

Chewing her bottom lip, a wave of memories washed over her. Her marriage was completely shattered just over six years ago. She didn't think she and Hunter would ever be together again, let alone happy. Once they'd accomplished both, Andrew had come along and literally tried to steal it away.

He'd taken baby Jack as an attempt to get her to trade herself for the infant's safety. She'd agreed to this and she'd had a plan. If it wasn't for Hunter's paranoia in making her carry a stun gun, she didn't know how that whole thing would've turned out.

Jackson, of course, remembered nothing because he was all of a few hours old when everything happened. Hunter had moved past it – if he hadn't, he certainly never voiced anything to her about it. But Stephanie? She tried to bury the memories, but it was difficult when she was left with the scars. Self-consciously, she moved her hand and touched her finger to the slightly raised area located on the upper, inner part of her right arm. She looked down at the brown mark critically for a moment.

She'd completely forgotten where she was and that Hunter was still sitting right across from her. He frowned at the look on her face, having a good guess as to where her thoughts had taken her. He literally never said anything regarding that day. With the exception of Jack's birth and renewing his marriage vows with Stephanie, he liked to pretend that the year 2002 just hadn't ever happened. It wasn't very often that he caught her looking at the scar. It happened more in the first few months after she'd received it. Now it was sporadic – a few times a year at best perhaps. But obviously, bringing up the past had taken her back there.

He reached out and touched her arm, halting her movement. "See? We both know a little something about burying things alive."

"I guess we do," she said softly. "I'm determined that we'll make it past this – all of this, Hunter. But for now can you just make me feel safe? You know...hold me or something," she suggested.

Without another word, Hunter opened his arms and then wrapped them around her waist when she came over to him and straddled his lap. Her cheek rubbed against his affectionately before she finally just buried her head into his neck and sighed. When the first tear hit his skin, he held her a little tighter and rubbed her back soothingly.

They stayed like that for a few minutes until she calmed down. She pulled back so that she could look at him. "Thank you," she said before pressing a sweet kiss against his lips.

Hunter flashed a quick grin at her before giving her a similar, but slightly longer kiss. "You're welcome," he said before looking at her thoughtfully. "Have I ever told you how addicting your lips are?"

Stephanie clucked her tongue and shook her head. "Nope, can't say that you have."

"Well they are. They're like…mouth crack," Hunter decided. "Not that I've ever tried crack, but yeah."

Stephanie's nose scrunched up. "Is mouth crack a different kind of crack? I mean isn't there only the kind of crack that people smoke?"

Hunter's head tilted to the side a little bit. "I think – I don't know. Forget that I said that," he chuckled lowly. "Anyway the point is…" he trailed off before kissing her again.

When he was satisfied, he broke the kiss and pulled away.

Stephanie, on the other hand, was not satisfied. She tugged on his ponytail until he leaned his head back and exposed the column of his throat. She kissed, licked at sucked at the area. She laughed a little at the small jerk his body did when she undoubtedly gave him a hickey.

Releasing his hair, she placed her hands on top of his shoulders instead.

Hunter's eyes twinkled with amusement as he moved his hands under the back of her shirt. "Well aren't you being aggressive this morning?"

"Grrrrr," she said, leaning forward and nipping playfully at his bottom lip.

Hunter laughed loudly at her before moving in for a deeper kiss.

They both knew that they weren't completely okay just yet. But for this moment they would forget about all of the memories and complications and just make each other feel secure and wanted.


	31. Find A Way

I can totally admit that towards the end I got sleepy and didn't feel like putting in as much "inner thought" stuff. Buttt hopefully that chapter doesn't suffer too much, given that it's still over 3,000 words lol. Enjoy and let me know what you think. This chapter isn't "filler"...I just couldn't leave these issues hanging because they will be referenced later!

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><p>With a low sigh, Stephanie continued to sit at her desk, distractedly twirling a piece of her brown hair around her finger.<p>

It was like she'd been here before. But the differences were far too pronounced for it to feel exactly the same. This time it was her that had screwed up and her that needed to try her hardest to fix it. She was the one who hadn't trusted the other and had winded up hurting them. Compared to six years ago, their roles were reversed.

Except for the fact that she'd actually given Hunter a chance to speak his piece against her accusations. Not that she'd believed him anyway, but still.

The biggest difference was in the fact that Jack wasn't this tiny thing floating around in her stomach anymore. He wasn't just a baby bump that she happened to be fiercely protective of. He was a little boy full of life and personality. When she'd been pregnant with him, she thought she'd imagined all of the most plausible ways that he would look. But once he was born, she found that reality far exceeded the baby she'd conjured in her head. Now he was six years old…and extremely observant.

Meaning that she and Hunter had to guard their mouths around him. They couldn't let him see just how screwed up his parents' relationship was or else he'd start asking too many questions. Questions that neither of them may have appropriate yet truthful answers for.

That was another major difference between six years ago and now: she and Hunter still resided together. Last time, they were totally and completely separated for months. Figuring out how to interact with each other wasn't a day-to-day struggle because they weren't living in the same house. After their reconciliation they initially were just going on dates a few times a week. It wasn't a full-on relationship.

But now their lives had merged fully again. And not only had her baby bump become her actual son, but they'd added a set of precocious twin girls to the mix.

God help her.

The sound of her door opening knocked her out of her thoughts. Her head lifted and she felt mildly annoyed. Until her father stepped through the door and closed it behind him. Now she was pretty sure that shock had taken over.

"Thanks for knocking, Dad," she said sarcastically.

Vince McMahon spread his arms, gesturing to the wide expanse that was her office. "Don't have to knock when I own the place."

Well, she supposed he had a point there. But if she had an office that had a door – and said door was closed, especially – basically that meant she needed and was entitled to privacy. What if she'd been in here doing or saying something that was…well, private? This was precisely why she didn't allow the door to be closed when Hunter was visiting her in the office. The man couldn't be trusted to keep his hands or lips to himself. If Vince was out of town, the door could be closed since everyone else had enough manners to knock, regardless of their position within the company. But if her egotistical father was within state lines, she couldn't be sure that he wouldn't just pop in on her randomly.

And if he barged in on her having a very intimate moment with her husband, she'd never get over the embarrassment. She'd probably quit her job on the spot and beg Hunter to move them across the damn country – if she couldn't convince him to leave the United States altogether.

"I need to talk to you," Vince said very seriously.

A curious eyebrow lifted and Stephanie felt her shoulders tense. "Oh? What about?"

"Well, today is now Wednesday. After that uncalled for temper tantrum at the house on Sunday, you've been ignoring me and your mother's phone calls. Personally, I find that unacceptable."

Uncalled for? Is that what the two of them honestly thought about her decision to leave that day? She found out that her mother had been withholding information and lying on her. Meanwhile her father had literally nearly started a damn argument at dinner, right in front of her children. Leaving was the best decision she could have made, given the circumstances.

Only her selfish, irrational parents would disagree since they were the ones in the hot seat to begin with. She snorted rudely. "I don't want my kids hearing conversations like that. If I'd stayed, it would have only made things worse. I know I did the right thing by them…and since I know that it's _your _motto to put _yourself _first, I really couldn't care less about your opinion on it."

Vince wagged a stern finger at her. "I'd watch my mouth if I were you, young lady. I'm not only your father but I'm your boss, as well!"

Stephanie rolled her eyes dryly. "My mother and father shouldn't be interfering in my marriage and my boss shouldn't be having this personal of a conversation with me…especially on company time," she told him with a quick, fake smile.

Vince opened his mouth, preparing to reprimand her for her tone. But, he decided against it. He'd come here for very specific reasons and he wouldn't let his daughter's attitude deter him. There were more important things they needed to get to. "Anyway," he said dismissively. "Your mother is very emotional about what happened. I'm tired of hearing about how her only daughter hates her and blah, blah blah. I know that isn't true so I want you to stop this ridiculous punishment and talk to her."

At his words – despite the awful presentation – Stephanie softened. She did know for a fact that her mother was a fairly emotional person. Stephanie would be lying if she said that she hadn't inherited that trait from the woman. So she knew it was fairly possible that her mother really was extremely upset and thinking that she'd never be forgiven. That was far from the truth, so she definitely would give her a call. Truth be told, while she went through all of these changes in her marriage, she'd sort of put Sunday's blowout on the mental backburner. "I'll call her today."

Vince nodded and felt very pleased with himself. This impromptu meeting just might go the way he wanted it to. "The second order of business is that we're experiencing a decline. It's not a sharp decline, but I want it to stop before it adds up too much."

Stephanie nodded. "Your recruiters find me new talent, I sign those that I think will be able to go to the next level and make the company a lot of money. You've got the competitive advantage because WCW and ECW are defunct, so this is where most wrestlers aspire to be. Veterans are more willing to negotiate the terms of their contract. Compared to the days when you had formidable competition, percentage-wise I've cut back a great deal on salary increase, bonuses and other perks. Check the figures…I'm doing what I can from my end."

"I'm well aware of the figures, Steph. Your work has exceeded my expectations. But you're not doing everything you can…because I'm not simply talking about a loss of money. I'm talking about a consistent, fractional ratings decline."

"Oh," she said and drew her eyebrows together in confusion. Unless he was adding to her duties or totally switching her to a different department, she wasn't really sure why he was having this conversation with her. This kind of thing would be better suited for Creative Development or Live Show department heads. "Well," she said slowly and decided to just help in any way possible. "I'm not sure what I can do, given the role I'm in…but I'll try to think of something."

"You're the wife of a future Hall of Famer that can still go the distance and then some. It's not hard to figure out what you can do."

Laughter found its way out of her before she could stop it. "Dad, it was Hunter's decision to retire from the ring. He told me what he wanted to do and I just supported him." She shrugged and shook her head.

"I need to shake things up, Steph. Triple H is one of the most famous and successful superstars that there's ever been. He's also the only one I have an inside track on. Find a way to make him come back."

"If you think I can make Hunter do anything he doesn't want to, you're wrong. My husband is even more stubborn than I am." Besides, they were currently having marital issues and all three children had just started a new semester. Why in God's name would she try to convince him to go back now? It would benefit their family in no way, shape or form. If he actually wanted to return that was fine. But she'd be damned if she tried to manipulate the situation to make it seem like this was what was best for everyone at this time. She was more than willing to give him the truth of the matter, without throwing in half-truths and misleading comments.

"Don't you have some uh," he waved his hands in a circular, confused motion, "I don't know wifely trick of some kind to get him to do what you want? I mean if all else fails can't you just threaten not to…you know?"

Stephanie's eyes widened. "Oh my God!" She exclaimed. "I'm not…not, not, NOT having this conversation with you. I can't believe you'd suggest I basically prostitute myself just to improve your ratings."

Vince scoffed. "I suggested no such thing! You've been married to the guy for almost ten years and you've got three kids together so it's not prostitution."

Stephanie shook her head, still in a state in disbelief over the direction this conversation had taken. "Look, I'll mention it to Hunter and see what he says. That's the best I can do."

An unintelligible grumble was her father's response before he sulked out of her office.

When she was blissfully alone again, she got up and walked to the door, locking it behind her. Every time she thought that Vince's parenting skills couldn't get any more horrible, he managed to surprise her. Today was no exception. Granted, she was a grown woman with a family of her own and was hardly in need of parenting. But just because she'd been alive for a shorter amount of time, she should be able to go to her parents for advice. And for some things she absolutely could. Her mother was sensible when it came to matters of the heart…kind of. Sometimes.

Screw it. She was going to give herself a headache if she tried to figure out what things her parents consistently did well when it came down to personal matters.

Before she forgot about it, in favor of how she could fix her damaged relationship with Hunter, she picked up the phone and dialed her mother's number.

Linda saw her office number and the caller ID and picked up before the first ring had even finished.

"Stephanie?" She asked to make sure.

"It's me."

"How are you?"

_Depends, _Stephanie thought. Sure, she and Hunter had made passionate love as the sun moved to a higher position in the sky. It was rather romantic scenery given that the pool house had a domed roof. Despite the fact that they'd been very emotionally connected during the encounter, it changed nothing about what they were at odds over:

Hunter no longer trusted her with his heart.

Other than just trying to be even more attentive and sensitive to his needs and wants, she wasn't sure what to do. She couldn't put her own heart in his hands any more than it already was. He already had her completely. There was nothing more she could give him, except for her time perhaps. But with their busy schedules, she'd pretty much carved out as much as she could…even to the point where she was now getting up earlier simply so they could start the day off together.

So, she was really only left with the options of trying to cater to his personal desires a bit more and just redeeming her previously excellent track record of trustworthiness.

Within the last week she'd proven to him that she wasn't above using his past and his family history against him when she was angry, nor was she above throwing up the white flag on their marriage when she felt she'd been wronged. Now that she was thinking in depth about it, it wasn't all that shocking that he was treating her a bit differently ever since they began living together again.

"Stephanie?" Linda asked, clearly concerned.

"Huh? Wh-I'm fine," Stephanie answered, finally remembering what the question had been. "How are you, Mom?"

"Better, now that my youngest child is finally talking to me again."

Stephanie said. "It wasn't my intention for the silence to be this long…my mind's been a bit preoccupied."

"That's understandable, Steph. I'm not the angry kind of upset…mostly I was upset with myself. I'm sorry if I caused any problems between you and Hunter. I really was only trying to help. Remedying the sins of the past and all," she said with a small laugh.

"No, we sorted that out quickly. I know you were trying to help but you went about it in the wrong way. This is my life, my marriage and my family. It's up to Hunter and I to decide how it's gonna go. All you're supposed to do is give advice."

"I know, I know," Linda said quickly.

In her mind, Stephanie backtracked and her eyes narrowed a little bit. "What did you mean about sins of the past?"

"I did something even more stupid six years ago. We've never talked about it…at first you just didn't want to speak of the situation. Then once everything came out and Jack's arrival was imminent, things kind of got lost in the chaos. But Steph, when that fake doctor videotape arrived…I sent it to Hunter because I thought it would ultimately help. I thought that if you two built a life on a pregnancy lie, it would only set you up for a world of hurt down the road. If you two were meant to be and were willing to put in the effort, it should all start with a clean slate. So I…" she trailed off with a sigh.

It had seemed like a good, noble idea at the time. Of course, if she'd simply called Stephanie first she may have been informed of the truth. But because of the "evidence" Linda wasn't sure if she'd have fully believed her anyway.

"So you took it upon yourself to make sure that happened?" Stephanie offered.

"Basically. You two spent three months apart because of the fallout. There was nothing I could do to fix it…I've never had a chance to make it up to you, Steph."

"So the stuff that came out on Sunday – _that _had been your attempt at redemption?"

"Yes. That videotape could have torn your family apart for good. It almost did. When Vince came to me about Hunter returning, I wanted to do what I could to make sure your family stayed together. I wanted to protect you from having a husband on the road over half the week while you work and raise three children. I wanted to stop you and the kids from ending up bitter that he chose business over family. I wanted to stop Hunter from eventually resenting you for being able to spend more time with the kids, for being there for the little things and milestones alike. I just wanted everyone to be as happy as possible."

Stephanie bit down on her lip and rubbed her forehead. Again, her mother's intentions hadn't been malicious. They'd been well-meaning, just like before. But this particular time – thank God – there hadn't been any real marital repercussions to her meddling. But that was pure luck and had to do with the way the truth came out. "I'm not a little girl…I don't need your protection, but I have children that need mine. What I need from you is support, Mom. I need you to be my friend, my confidant for the most part. Occasionally, yes, there may be a time when I just want to cry like a baby because something isn't going as I planned. But then it's just your job to rub my head and tell me it's going to be okay. But you can't go around deciding what's best for my marriage and actually interfering and tampering with things to force your opinions on me without my knowledge."

"It'll never happen again," Linda promised urgently. "Scout's honor."

Stephanie laughed. "You weren't a scout," she pointed out.

"Mom's honor?" She tried.

"That'll work," Stephanie said with a nod, though her mother couldn't see it. "I've got more than enough to take care of over here, so I have to let you go. I just wanted to clear the air and let you know that I love you and I forgive you."

"I appreciate it, Stephanie. I love you, too. Bye, dear."

"Bye, Mom."

Stephanie placed the phone back in the cradle and leaned back in her office chair. Well, even though problems with Hunter and her father were piling up, at least she'd gotten rid of one family issue. Her mother-daughter relationship was back on course and hopefully her mother stayed true to her word and didn't mess with shit in her marriage anymore. She did a fine job of screwing things up all on their own, without any outside help.

And she'd damn well fix it without any outside help. She wouldn't try to get Hunter into therapy like last time. She knew him better and she understood what the problems were. Nothing would be instantaneously made perfect and therapy wouldn't make it so. This problem just needed time, love and effort – just as Hunter had suggested. The trick was going to be how to keep from feeling frustrated and hopeless, while she waited for signs of improvement.


	32. Hearts and Berries

It appears I've broken my no-time, no-mental-energy hiatus long enough to get this out. Hope you all enjoy this - let me know! Happy holidays :)

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><p>Tilting his head back slightly, Hunter took a long swallow from his water bottle. He exhaled deeply as he sat the item back down on his desk. He pressed his lips together and poked them out thoughtfully as he glanced around his surroundings. His office was quite…lavish, given the fact that he was in it for all of ten hours per week, perhaps. The desk was made from some fancy, exotic wood and would fit perfectly in an executive's office. Hunter wasn't an executive, nor did he really desire to be. If it happened, it happened, but he was just fine in his current role. Being stationary wasn't really his thing when it came to work – he liked to move about and get out of the office.<p>

As restless as Stephanie tended to get, he wasn't sure how she didn't go crazy, workwise. Maybe the thrill of trying some new negotiation tactic or the rush of getting exactly what she wanted was keeping her entertained. Otherwise, he just didn't see how her position could hold her attention for long.

Much like he didn't know how or when he would feel…normal with her again. It was bad enough that she obviously didn't trust him at his word and had refused to believe he hadn't cheated on her. But on top of that she'd literally ripped off scabs that had formed years ago. Try as he might, he couldn't just forget what she said about his father. No, he wasn't like the man as far as being on drugs and unable to provide for his family. But he had to be like him in some way – it would be written into his DNA.

_Wouldn't it? _Hunter wondered inwardly before scratching at his chin. He hadn't seen his birth father, Patrick in nearly thirty years. He hadn't seen his mother, Abby for the same amount of time. His memories of them were vague as far as appearance went. He tried so hard to forget their faces after he'd ran off on his own. Besides, because of the treatment he got at some of the foster homes, he constantly had new faces to try to forget.

As far as stability went, he hadn't had any. With wrestling, he had a relatively stable income, but his personal life was all over the damn place. He changed women almost as often as he traveled. He knew nothing about putting down roots and he didn't know jack shit about what happened when you fell in love with someone. And before Stephanie, he hadn't cared to learn about either one. She'd pretty much flipped his world upside down when they met over nine years ago. Now she'd done it again, except this time it wasn't in a good way.

Of course he still loved and wanted her – that wasn't ever going to change. But he was at a loss for how to interact with her without being fake. He couldn't pretend that things were fine and dandy when they really weren't. Honestly, when she first came to her senses, he had forgiven her completely. Or so he thought. In truth, it seemed that he'd just been desperate to have her back as his wife and to get back home to their children. But now that the threat of her ending their marriage had left, he found himself dealing with his pent up feelings.

He was angry with Stephanie on so many levels it would make his head hurt to count them all. And even though he'd tried his hardest not to be mad, it wasn't working. That was obvious with the absolutely fucking ridiculous arguments he'd been starting with her. But most of all, he was disappointed in her. Things couldn't be like usual because he had no idea how to hide or get past his disappointment. He had to try simply because of the kids. He couldn't just walk around ignoring Stephanie or they were bound to notice and ask questions. As parents they had to project some semblance of normalcy even if their marriage was a bit screwed up still.

This morning had helped…somewhat. It was nice to know that they could put their issues aside if it was really needed. It was also nice that Stephanie had completely dropped her guard. She had been…exposed. Vulnerable. Much like he had been while he tried and kind of failed to express the depth of what he had been through and felt while they were apart. For however long they'd spent making each other feel good, they were on the same playing field. They were equals. Now the balance was tipped yet again and it made him uncomfortable. It couldn't be good that a small part of him had begun to see Stephanie as the enemy. In the last couple of days he'd been more concerned with winning arguments, doing what he wanted even if it was a bad decision that was going to piss her off and with keeping her as far away from him emotionally as possible. Now that he had explored and accepted what the hell his problem was, he could plainly see all of that. He wasn't sure how much it would truly change his behavior or his feelings, but at least he was aware of what he had been doing.

A knock at his office door broke his train of thought. "Come in," he said loud enough for the other person to hear.

The first thing to come into view was a large assortment of…well, fruit. Hunter tilted his head curiously as the fruit moved forward and the door closed behind the fruit-carrier. The fruit lowered and revealed none other than Stephanie herself. She smiled hugely and walked forward, placing the ceramic container of fruit on his desk. "Hi," she greeted, huge smile still in tow.

Because he just couldn't help himself, he started laughing. "Hi," he said finally. "What's all this?" He asked, waving his hand towards the artfully decorated container.

Hunter's brown eyes watched her, thoroughly amused, as she tucked a piece of crinkled brown hair behind her ear. "It's called 'Hearts and Berries'…it was either that or 'Berry Chocolate Bouquet' but I figured you'd find this less girly," she said with a grin.

"Probably so," he commented, examining what was in front of him. Pineapples, grapes, strawberries…half of which were dipped in chocolate it seemed. Well, she'd certainly done a good job in making sure only fruit he actually liked ended up in this thing. One item was missing, though. "No card?" He asked, glancing up at her.

Stephanie shook her head no and rubbed her hands together for a moment. "That's why I had it delivered to me, so I could bring it to you directly. What I have to say is too long for a card."

Hunter nodded at her, giving a small smile as encouragement to go on.

Clearing her throat, Stephanie rolled the visitor's chair over to the side of the desk Hunter was on. As she sat down, she sighed heavily and grabbed his left hand between her much smaller hands. "Let me start by saying that I love you with all of my heart and soul. I know that it may not seem that way, given the last few days, but I really mean it. I said and did some downright awful things to you and you didn't deserve any of that from me. I've thought it over and…even with the whole long-lost twin thing I have no excuse for my behavior. I mean, I outright asked you about the coffee shop and I should have just believed you and left it at that." But that's not what she did and she'd yet to stop kicking herself over it. There were so many moments where she could've made a better decision or at least chosen not to blow up quite so much. It was too late for that now and she had to do what she could to remedy what she had actually done.

"I forgot that I know you completely, I forgot that I can trust you…but I honestly forgot that I know you love me too much to ever betray me like that. I want to apologize for my shitty memory and everything that happened as a result of it. Hunter, I'm sorrier than you could ever imagine…I really hope that you'll start to trust me back sooner rather than later. I promise I won't hurt you again." Stephanie twisted her lip in contemplation for a moment before deciding to backtrack. "Okay, well I know I'm not perfect. But I did those things because I was hurt and I wanted to hurt you back. So, I promise to not intentionally hurt you again. And…shit! Now I'm rambling. I told myself I wasn't going to ramble."

Hunter chuckled lowly and ran his right index finger down the dent in her chin. "I find it very cute when you ramble."

A deep blush stained her cheeks before she bit her lip and looked away momentarily.

"Stephanie, nothing on this earth means more to me than you. You're right – you can trust me…with anything. You know me better than anyone and that's why you know exactly how to try to hurt me. But the thing is that you succeeded last week. I wish I could just snap my fingers and make it go away but I can't. That doesn't excuse me from what I've been doing for the last couple of days, though. The drinking, the fights I've been starting with you and the chauvinistic crap I've been saying. I was upset with you but I didn't really know what the hell to do with it since I said I'd forgiven you."

Stephanie nodded and swallowed hard before forming her question. She searched Hunter's eyes to see if he would tell her the entire truth. "Have you forgiven me?" She asked quietly.

Hunter pulled his hand from hers and brushed his thumb along her knuckles. "I have, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't still disappointed and kind of angry."

"Understandable," she commented. Well, at least with that information she knew to be careful. Don't piss the guy off and give him pretty much whatever he wanted of her. That didn't sound too hard; she could do that. "Well, would you like to spend lunch with me?" She asked hesitantly.

Hunter grinned at her. Yes, she was extremely cute when she was nervous or being bashful. They were endearing qualities of hers probably because she was downright stunning in the looks department and amazing as far as personality went. She had every right to be vain and conceited but she wasn't; she was somewhat humble and occasionally shy when it came to him. "Of course I would," he answered.

Heat rushed to her cheeks again. What in the world was wrong with her? She'd been married to the man for nine years; he'd seen her at her best and her worst and had been there for her two pregnancies and the birth of their three children. Yet for some reason she felt like some damn high school student that had just asked her crush out to the prom. "Do you like the arrangement?" She asked, breaking their eye contact to briefly cut to the fruit.

"I love it actually, so the ceramic thing being decorated with hearts is a fitting touch."

"Not too girly?" She asked jokingly.

"Nah," Hunter dismissed quickly before plucking a chocolate covered strawberry from the assortment and eating half of it with one bite. "Mmmmm," he practically moaned. "Yeah, no…no one else will see it anyway since I'm definitely not sharing," he quipped. "Taste," he instructed, lifting the strawberry up to her lips.

Stephanie smiled before gratefully eating the strawberry. "Oh…that _is _delicious! I pick pretty good apology gifts, huh?"

Hunter laughed for a moment before leaning forward to press his lips against hers sweetly. Both of them were interrupted by the office door opening, followed by a distinct throat clearing.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Stephanie asked, "Okay I know you own the place but what is the point of having doors that can close if you ignore them and just walk right in?" It was bad enough he'd done the same thing to her not more than four hours prior. But now he was barging in unannounced on her husband_and_ interrupting the good, lighthearted and somewhat romantic moment they were sharing. He had the worst timing. Ever.

Vince wagged a reprimanding finger at her. "You have some nerve questioning my manners when you two are sitting here kissing and feeding each other, on my dime!"

Hunter rolled his eyes. "We're on lunch," he said simply.

"Convenient," Vince muttered.

Hunter shook his head at his father-in-law's sour, bickering mood. "Was there something you wanted? Fruit, perhaps?" He asked jokingly, holding a pineapple out to Vince. Even though they were on pleasant, friendly terms he still enjoyed riling the old goat up from time to time – he was such an easy target. Plus he was pretty funny when he got pissed off. He just made sure it stayed relatively tame so that it didn't cause problems in the family.

Stephanie coughed and started patting her chest to mask her giggles, but it was doubtful that Hunter didn't realize what she was doing. He glanced at her for a moment, sending her a sly smirk before wiggling the piece of fruit at Vince again.

"Get that away from me, damn it!" Vince huffed. "I came here to ask about the kid you saw today. Marquez."

Hunter shrugged and fed the pineapple to a grinning Stephanie. He knew she somewhat enjoyed irritating her father as a form of entertainment, as well. And it served him right for the scene he'd caused at dinner a few days ago. "He's a solid choice. Great size and form. Plus he's ridiculously agile for such a big kid." Hunter's eyebrows drew together in speculation. "Why are you asking me, though? You usually wait until Steph screens them further and starts negotiating."

"Steph, did you do what I asked you to, earlier?"

Stephanie pulled a grape from the arrangement and munched on it happily. "I don't plan on it, no."

Vince nodded. "To answer your question, Hunter...I'll assign someone from the Contracts department to do the follow-up on Marquez. Stephanie's flying out tonight so that she can attend Smackdown tomorrow."

Stephanie's jaw dropped open. "You're kidding right? I barely interact with the live talent – what do you need me there for?"

Vince smiled at her easily, knowing that she'd see right through to his true motivations for sending her several states over with little to no notice. She hadn't done as he'd asked and until she did, she'd pay for it in the form of her scheduling. "You've got a list of the talent whose contracts will expire soon. You're going to go there and convince them to re-sign before that happens and TNA tries to steal them."

"This is completely unnecessary. We've never had an issue with re-signing because of distance. And I can't just up and leave my husband and my kids. Surely there's ways for-"

Vince held up a hand for silence. "I wasn't really asking you. And this isn't a debate. You're the EVP of Contracts…so go get me some renewed contacts."

Stephanie opened her mouth, preparing to defend her case again. This was absurd! Her father was mixing business and personal and basically using it to punish her. He was really, truly pissed that she wasn't going to try to persuade her husband to return to the ring full-time. Not only did their children need him at home, but so did she. Besides, it was exactly where he desired to be. The only thing that stopped her from losing her temper completely was Hunter reaching over and squeezing her hand to try to calm her down.

"We'll be fine for one night, Stephanie," he said calmly.

"Two nights actually," Vince chimed in.

Stephanie's gaze quickly landed on Vince and she practically seared a hole right through him before turning back to her husband. "Hunter, are you sure?"

"I promise I won't burn our house down or let the kids run with scissors," he joked lightly.

Stephanie cracked a smile and backhanded his arm. "Shut up, you know what I mean."

"I do…and yes it's fine. I don't think of this as running away or ignoring our issues, Steph. So you shouldn't either."

There were times where she seriously disliked how well he knew her mind. But at times like this, it saved her from making long-winded explanations. "Okay," she told him.

"I'll have my secretary confirm the arrangements," Vince interrupted. "Unless it's somehow already taken you'll be on a flight to Ohio at six."

Stephanie picked up Hunter's wrist and looked at the diamond encrusted watch she bought him for his birthday, a year prior. It was already a bit past two. With a sigh, she realized their time was going to be quite short. He had to leave to get the twins from gymnastics in just over an hour. She wouldn't be able to go with him because she'd be packing and heading for the airport. This sucked royally; she wouldn't even have time to kiss her babies and tell them she loved them.

She didn't fucking want to be in Ohio! She wanted to be at home spending time with the family she'd created. She wanted to be spoiling her husband and fixing the mess that she'd made. All those things would have to wait now, thanks to her selfish, egotistical, complete jerk of a father. The only upside to any of this was that Hunter clearly understood her reluctance to go and didn't seem to be angry with her for this impromptu business trip.

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><p>Okay, so! This fic has a lottttt of chapters compared to my other ones. But not that much time has passed. Here's the timeline I'm using to keep track<p>

Labor Day. Monday Sep 1, 2008

Hunter and Stephanie Separated. Wednesday Sep 10, 2008

Ch. 9 Wavering Logic & Defenses, Just Like You, Faint Trouble, Bio, Wifely, Memories. Saturday Sep 13, 2008. THEY meet Howard

Ch. 15 Heart's on Fire, Family & Forgiveness, Dysfunctional, Living It Up, Adult Decisions. Sunday Sep 14, 2008

Ch. 20 Perspective, Advantages, Taming, The Way We Were, The Usual, Darkness. Monday Sep 15, 2008

Ch. 26 Working Out, Heads Up, Oh Honey, Firecracker. Tuesday Sep 16, 2008

Ch. 30 Buried Alive, Find A Way, Hearts and Berries. Wednesday Sep 17, 2008


	33. Better

Lifting his head up from its shamefully hung state, Hunter turned and glanced at the clock. Two in the morning. Fucking two! With a forceful sigh, he simply shook his head and resumed pacing the floor of the living room. Quite frankly, he was surprised he hadn't somehow worn a damn hole into the marble floor.

Stephanie would be pissed if he managed to do that while she was gone for a mere two days on business.

"Stephanie," he made himself say aloud. The fact that he was saying her name and she wasn't around to hear him was mostly his fault. Vince was to blame, at the root. But Hunter certainly hadn't made it any better. No, instead he'd encouraged her to go…just not for the reasons that Stephanie believed.

Certainly, she must think he was being extremely mature, considerate of her position within the company and of the fact that her father was a power-tripping lunatic. But Hunter knew the truth and it was already screwing with his head.

And what was the simple truth? That he'd been more than content to put some space between himself and his wife.

Of course, he couldn't have basically told her, "Go away and leave me alone for a few hours" without hurting her feelings. Stephanie was too sensitive for that – hell most _people _were too sensitive for that kind of request. Even though Vince was being a bastard to Stephanie, it actually saved Hunter from having to continue to secretly desire requesting a little breather from the numerous issues he had with the man's daughter.

Practically allowing Vince to do his dirty work was awfully cowardly. That fact absolutely did not escape his attention. But the timing had just been so damn convenient! The opportunity had dropped right into his lap, really. So he'd eased her fears and worries about taking the trip…and off she went.

Only now that he was alone, he was finding that he had developed new problems.

All three children were sad that their mother was going to be gone from them for two days and she hadn't been able to see them and share that in person. At Stephanie's request, he'd called her when he picked up the kids. The situation resulted in heartbreak for everyone involved.

Karmina Reece and Kaycee Samantha, his precious, adorable twin daughters - who just happened to look like small clones of Stephanie, aside from their light brown, wavy hair…well, the looks of utter confusion and hurt on their faces had been unmistakable when he told them Mommy wasn't coming home for a couple of days. It tore Hunter up that his baby girls were so upset, but an additional source of pain was that their way of crying reminded him too much of Stephanie – who had also begun crying but was trying to hide it on the phone.

Jackson was disappointed and upset, but he understood – better than the twins – that his mother hadn't abandoned him and would be back shortly.

As for Hunter? Not only did he feel like shit because his cowardice resulted in his family being hurt…but he missed his wife so much that it actually kind of hurt. He could kick himself in the head for his stupid idea that space would be a good thing. He just thought that the whole "absence makes the heart grow fonder" thing would possibly magically fix their marriage. Or something.

He was also getting tired of constantly disappointing Stephanie with his inability to bounce back from their separation the way she desired him to. He couldn't help how he felt and what damage she'd done. He couldn't help that Stephanie's constant apologies and thoughtful gestures were the equivalent of putting a damn band-aid on a broken bone.

But what was he supposed to do? Tell her to stop apologizing? Tell her to stop doing nice things for him? Tell her to stop giving a flying fuck about actively trying to repair their marriage? He couldn't do that to her. To them, really. Because if she stopped doing any of that, it would undoubtedly make things worse instead of better. He may just end up more bitter that she'd given up. He didn't want her to give up…he just wanted her to be more…realistic. Maybe that was the word for it.

When he'd hurt her all those years ago, he knew that it wouldn't instantaneously be fixed. It took time for her to open up to him again and even more time before she trusted him enough to be able to live under one roof. Granted, they had some professional help, but that was because way too many secrets were unveiled that changed past, present and future. They wouldn't be doing that this time. Therapy had helped, but it hadn't been his idea. They could survive this one without it.

He just…had to stop doing and saying shit without thinking of the repercussions. That would help curb some of the arguments and disappointment.

Rubbing at his thin beard, he glanced at the clock again. Only ten minutes had gone by. This was fucking insufferable. It just wasn't right. There was…too much body heat in their room. Without Stephanie cuddling into him to steal some, there was just too damn much that he had all to himself. As irrational as he knew that thought was, he was sticking to it.

And-and...there was too much damn space in the bed. And his hands and arms had nothing to do since they'd usually be touching or wrapped around her in some way. No, this wasn't right at all.

There was a possibility that Steph was still awake and just as restless and upset as he was. As a light sleeper, the phone would wake her up anyway. She never had a problem getting back to sleep so it wasn't so bad if he ended up disturbing her slumber.

Hunter walked to the couch briskly, plucking the small cell phone from the leather cushions with haste. He pressed speed dial one and waited to hear her voice on the other end of the line.

Three states over, Stephanie startled awake and sat up in bed. "What the…" she trailed off, looking around the room in complete confusion as to why she was awake now. The moonlight was streaming in through the open window and she used it to fumble around and grab the digital clock. Her blue eyes were bleary, but they still widened when she registered the time.

Finally, she realized her cell was ringing just a few feet in front of her. Only one person would be calling her this late. Her heart practically jumped into her throat at the various, terrible reasons why Hunter would be calling in the middle of the night.

Panicked, she accepted the call and answered with, "Hunter, are you okay? Are the kids okay?"

Hunter blinked for a moment, his hazel eyes wide as he tried to figure out why she sounded so jumpy. "Huh?" He asked. "I'm fine. We're all fine. Nothing's happened to anybody."

Sighing in relief, Stephanie placed a hand to her chest. "It scared the shit out of me having you call so late. Sorry for freaking out on you," she said with a small smirk.

Chuckling lightly, he said, "I should have begun the call with a disclaimer. It was my fault."

"So what's going on, though? Why are you still up?"

"I miss you," he blurted out honestly.

Heat rose to her cheeks and her lips widened in a genuine smile. So he was having difficulty sleeping without her? That was a good sign for their marriage getting back on track. If he didn't hardly bat an eyelash when they were apart overnight, that would mean they were worse off than she originally thought. To be quite honest, after her initial thoughts about Hunter being so cool with her departure, she began to think things through.

To put it mildly: she became quite skeptical of his motives. At the very least, she'd expected him to blow up at Vince. But he'd just sat there calmly and told her to go. It was quite weird when she reflected on it. But this admission of his was somewhat easing her worry over the whole thing.

"I miss you, too."

"When are you coming home?" He asked abruptly.

Warmth spread throughout her heart and she found herself laughing at his impatience. "My flight is scheduled to get in at 7:30 on Friday morning."

Hunter groaned and rubbed his free hand over his face. "Too long," he complained. "That means I won't actually get to see you until that evening."

"I know," she affirmed with a quiet sigh. "But look at it this way, baby…when you do see me, you'll have me for the whole weekend."

"I guess."

Stephanie laughed at him again. "I can practically hear you pouting right now."

Hearing her rich, unabashed laughter softened something inside of him. It felt like it did just weeks ago, before everything went to hell. "I'm in love with you," he said decisively. "And you're not here, so of course I'm pouting."

"Awww," she gushed. "How about this? I'll just work half a day at the office on Friday. I'll leave sometime around lunch and we can spend some alone time together before we get the kids. And," she added with enthusiasm, "I promise I'll have something _very _special planned for you during the gap."

Hunter refused to let his mind wander too much with her last statement. Not when she wasn't physically here to turn his thoughts into reality. That would just end up leaving him frustrated. It was quite ridiculous how she affected him. He guessed that's just what happened when you truly loved someone and were attracted to them in every possible way. It's not like he had other such relationships that he could look back on to test his theory. Nor would he have any such relationships in the future. Stephanie was it, period. He didn't want anybody else.

Clearing his throat, he replied with, "Then I promise I'll make it worth your efforts."

To herself, Stephanie nodded. She was well aware that he'd do just that. He always did. Hell, he did that even when she hadn't put forth any effort. Though things were very pleasant right now, a little something was still nagging her in the back of her mind. She was torn between bringing it up or just dropping it. It was a shame that lately she was constantly wondering if asking Hunter the truth about things was going to result in some huge, unnecessary, way below the belt fight.

But she'd also be damned to have to consistently hold her honest thoughts inside when it was directly related to her husband of nearly nine years. "Hunter, please don't take this the wrong way. I'm just concerned…and curious," she added with a nervous laugh. "I was glad that you were so understanding about this last minute trip…but I expected…I don't know what I expected, honestly…" she trailed off unsurely, raking a hand through her hair. "I guess once I was on the plane I wondered why you'd been so calm, even with my father, who was being the king of the assholes at the time. It was like you weren't bothered by the idea of me not being with you for a couple of nights."

_How to play this? _Hunter wondered to himself. Well, he couldn't tell her the entirety of his reasoning because his thoughts were jumbled and didn't even make any damn sense in his own head. Plus, the fact that he'd called her and expressed how much he loved and missed her, ultimately trumped the stupid plan he'd had. It didn't matter why he'd done and said what he had. It blew up in his face and he was sorry for it. That had to count…at least he hoped that it would. "I thought that a bit of space may do us some good. You know, sort things out on our own, with no pressure."

"I…well I didn't mean to pressure you. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, Steph. I wasn't feeling pressured; not really. I just felt like I was disappointing you a lot in this last week or so."

"Hunter, you're anything but a disappointment to me. If I'd just trusted you and not flipped the fuck out, this last week wouldn't have even gone down this way."

Hunter nodded, even though she couldn't see it. "It's almost like déjà vu…except our roles are reversed, the separation was shorter and we live together again already. So we're screwing up back and forth a bit because of those new aspects…but we're gonna be okay, Steph. You know that, right?"

No, she really didn't know that. Every time she thought they were okay again, something else happened. She simply _hoped _that they would be okay. But instead of saying that, she blinked back her tears and uttered a soft, "Yeah. I know."

It was the first time that she deliberately misled and practically lied to her husband in over seven years. And she had a sinking feeling that it wasn't going to be the last, in the upcoming weeks.

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><p>I swear I'm not evil in real life. LOL.<p>

Loved it? hated it? Anxious to see what happens next? Let me know via reviews and the next chapter just may come out sooner than ya think! :)


	34. Cross My Heart

"Daddddddy!" Kaycee complained loudly as she shook her head wildly, trying to rid her hair of some of the water her father just poured on her.

Karmina scooted to the other end of the huge tub, giggling at her twin sister. "You're funny, Daddy!"

Hunter grinned and held his hand out to the eldest girl. She slapped him a high five, which widened his smile. "I sure am, munchkin."

Kaycee pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. "It's not fair," she whined.

"It's not fair that you decided to dump your pail out over the tub while I was out, after I asked you two not to wet up the floor. Daddy has to clean that up. So, pouring water on the floor equals _me _pouring water on your head." The little girl would understand that rationale since she was very smart. Besides, he hadn't literally done what she had. She'd thrown sudsy water onto the floor. He'd poured regular, warm, clear water on her head, so that he wouldn't hurt her in any way.

The full, pink, much smaller pair of lips that she and her sister had inherited from their mother, poked out at him sadly. Her pale blue eyes were wide as she stared at him innocently – almost pitifully. "I'm sorry I made a mess, Daddy."

"Thank you, Sam."

"I can help clean, Daddy," she offered.

God help him when the girls were older. That was a constant thought of his. It was absolutely impossible for him to stay upset with either of them for longer than a moment. Oh sure, their offenses were minor…because they were just four years old. But when they fully came to realize that he was such a damn sucker for them and always ready to forget about their less than desirable behavior, all hell would break loose.

Snapping back to reality for a moment, Hunter realized that the baby was waiting for a response. And looking at her now, he realized that his girls were never disobedient or bratty on purpose. They just simply didn't understand consequences. They were four. That's why it was up to him and Stephanie to explain things to them properly. "I don't want you to slip in the water while you're trying to clean. But you're being such a big girl for making the offer. I'll do the cleaning and you can go talk to Mommy."

"She's on the phone?" Kaycee asked, her eyes lighting up at the mention of her mother.

"She's on the computer, where you can actually see her while she's talking to you."

"Does she want to talk to me too, Daddy?" Karmina asked.

Hunter lightly poked the dent in her chin. "She sure does. Your brother is in there talking to her now." He grabbed the blue, plush towel from the counter and spread it out on the floor to absorb some of the water. Glancing around to make sure there wasn't another puddle nearby, he walked to the towel rack. Shaking his head in amusement, he pulled down Karmina's "Beauty and the Beast" towel and Kaycee's "Sleeping Beauty" towel. Even when the girls picked different things, they were still somehow related. It had to be a twin thing.

Gesturing for them to stand up, he waited for just a moment and then draped Karmina's towel around her shoulders. With Kaycee's towel, he first squeezed her hair a bit, to rid it of the excess water she hadn't gotten out using her tiny fingers. He wrapped the towel around her before reaching down to take the stopper out of the drain. He tucked a twin under each massive arm and carried them down the hall to their room.

As they began to towel off, it was Kaycee who asked, "Are you bringing the 'puter in here?"

That wasn't exactly what Hunter had planned. He figured the twins could just head into his room to use it. But since Jackson already had has alone time with Steph, he figured it would be nice for the girls to have the same amount of alone time. And if they talked to Steph while they were already in bed, they might fall asleep much quicker than they had the night before.

"You girls put your jammies on and I'll go get it. Deal?" He asked them, raising his eyebrows for emphasis.

Both girls eagerly nodded in agreement and ran for their chest of drawers to find what they wanted to wear to bed. Hunter left them to their task, leaving their door open just a sliver as he stepped out.

From down the hall, Hunter could hear Jackson's voice say, "Mommy, I got a gold star today!"

Stephanie laughed a little and said, "I'm so proud of you, son! What did you get the star in?"

Hunter pushed the door open and walked in to see his son sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bed, with the laptop in front of him.

"Math," Jack answered simply, lifting his head up the slightest bit as his Dad walked into his line of vision.

"You did?" She asked. "That's awesome. Your Daddy's help has been paying off, huh?"

"Yeah! I got all the answers right!"

Hunter plopped down on the bed next to Jack and grabbed him, giving him a light noogie before resorting to tickling his sides.

"Aaaaah! Daddy! Stop! Aaaah!" Jack complained through his hysterical laughter before finally falling to his side on his parents' huge bed. Relentlessly and unmercifully, his father continued to tickle him while he wriggled across the bed trying to get away.

Stephanie watched the scene with a smile on her face. "Hunter!" She chastised, even though she was mostly kidding. "Our son does excellent in school today and you reward him with torment?"

Hunter smiled sheepishly before leaning over to drop a kiss in Jack's now completely unruly hair. "Sorry baby," he said to Stephanie.

"I'd take that seriously if the corners of your mouth weren't still turned up and Jack wasn't still hanging off the edge of the bed, you know."

He laughed and tugged on Jack's arms, yanking the boy into his side. "Okay, okay, I guess that wasn't a proper reward. How about your Mom and I take you out for ice cream?"

"Yeah!" Jackson exclaimed, slapping his tiny hand against Hunter's shoulder. "When?"

"Steph?" Hunter asked, deflecting Jack's question to her, since she was the one out of town and bound to be exhausted when she returned.

"Saturday. Whatever time you guys want is fine with me," she said with a shrug.

"Cool," Hunter said. "You ready for bed, kid?"

"Do I haaaaave to?" Jack asked.

Hunter poked the boy in his side, making him jump in fear of being tickled again. "Yes, you do. You've got school and baseball tomorrow…and you wanna be awake long enough to give your Mom a hug and a kiss, right?"

"Right," Jack confirmed.

"If you don't get enough sleep, you're gonna be too knocked out to do all of that. Besides, it's your sisters' turn to talk to Mommy. So off you go!"

Accepting defeat, Jackson turned to the computer screen again. He waved bye to his mother and said. "Be safe on the plane tomorrow, Mommy. I love you."

Stephanie wouldn't be surprised if her cheeks began to ache, her smile was so wide. "I will, little guy. I love you, too…more than you'll ever know." Stephanie kissed her fingers and then held them up to the screen. She smiled again when Jackson did the same thing before hugging his father and scampering off the bed and towards his room.

"Hang on, Steph," Hunter said as he adjusted the laptop to unplug it. "The girls are in their bed waiting to talk to you."

"No problem," she said with a yawn.

Frowning at her image on the screen, Hunter said, "Baby, you seem exhausted."

"I am. Vince has had me running around all damn day like I'm his personal assistant or something. I set up afternoon meetings for the renewal contracts and got them all signed. I so don't need to be in this arena right now but he's being a complete bastard and making me stay anyway. He was muttering some bullshit about not bothering the busy secretaries with changing the itinerary of the jet. I said I'd pay for my own damn ticket back home if it got me out of doing the show, but then he was bitching about the jet being fueled up specifically for in the morning. I said I'd reimburse him and that's when he basically told me that I couldn't go simply because he said so and had already told people I'd be there. Vince said he wasn't going to let me sour his good reputation by making him break his word on my attendance."

"He's full of shit. None of his reasons make any sense whatsoever," Hunter muttered out.

"I know…Vince is an idiot – he doesn't even have a decent rep within his own family."

_Yep, _Hunter thought. The old man was definitely on her shit list again. She only called him by his first name when she was pissed off and purposely distancing herself. He'd noticed that about her, years ago, but she'd also revealed that detail to him the last time they were in some sort of spat he'd caused.

Poor Steph…she sounded frustrated and wiped out. It was only a few minutes until eight. And Hunter knew that the show that she was unnecessarily being made to attend didn't start until that time. "And you're not even close to being done yet."

Stephanie raised her eyebrows and lowered them quickly, "I know," she said with a sigh.

"How is it being backstage and in the mix and everything again?"

Stephanie shrugged. To be quite honest, she was too tired to be able to enjoy the electrified atmosphere. She was also too bitter at having to be here in the first place and with the way her father was behaving. "I hope I'll perk up once the show starts. Right now the only thing that can cut through my mood is you and the kids," she answered. Chewing on her lip briefly, her mind calculated at a rapid pace. Hunter had broached the subject of being in the mix of wrestling again. He seemed to more or less be back to his normal self with her. Maybe it was an okay time to test the waters on how he felt about returning to the ring. "Do you miss it? Being a part of the live shows and all?"

"Sometimes," he answered without further elaboration.

"Ever think about returning to that side of things?"

Hunter tilted his head from left to right as he considered, standing up from the bed to walk towards the twins' room. "I don't think about it much. But I've considered wrestling again once the kids are much older. Like pre-teen age, provided I can still go the distance, of course," he said with a laugh.

Jackson was six and the twins were four. For all of them to reach pre-teen age, at least seven or eight more years needed to pass. Hunter will have probably changed his mind by then. Furthermore, they'd eventually have another child, which would tack on eleven or twelve years to Hunter's return timeframe. It wasn't necessary to mention these obvious facts; Hunter would eventually have that epiphany for himself, if he hadn't already. She also didn't want this conversation to get too deep and serious. Hunter didn't want to go back now – it was confirmed and she wasn't about to try to persuade him otherwise. Whatever misguided punishment her father had in store for her, she could take it. Eventually the moron would come to his senses and realize how damn childish and unreasonable he was being.

"Here are the twins," Hunter announced as he walked into their room, turning the computer so that they could see each other.

"Mommy!" They said in unison, with huge smiles.

"I was wondering where my beautiful girls were!" Stephanie said.

Hunter shook his head in amusement. Stephanie basically just complimented herself. That's how much their daughters had taken on her looks. Not that he blamed her; the three of them really were beautiful. If they continued to look so much like her as they got older, he was going to have to invest in some weapons for the boys that would surely come chasing them. Maybe it wasn't such a great idea to try returning to the ring when they were practically teenagers. He wouldn't be as intimidating if he was thousands of miles away. He'd have to give that aspect some serious thought a few years down the line.

Both girls giggled wildly, leaning back into their pillows. But it was Karmina that said, "We're right here, Mommy!"

"We miss you, Mommy!" Kaycee said. "When are you coming home?"

"I fly back in tomorrow. I miss you all so much. I'm gonna give you big hugs and kisses when I see you."

"Promise?" They asked.

Stephanie used her arms to make an "x" on her chest. "Cross my heart. Are you two being good for your Daddy?"

"I am!" Karmina said quickly. "Sam put bath water on the floor and Daddy had to clean it up!"

Kaycee swatted at her sister. "Tattle tale!" She accused.

Karmina prepared to swat at her sister in return, but Hunter stuck an arm between the two of them to break it up. "That's enough, you two. No hitting each other."

Catching a movement using his peripheral vision, Hunter turned to the computer to see Stephanie giving him a thumbs up. He'd intervened in the girls' bickering immediately and was firm with them, without being harsh. He really had made so much progress when it came to getting the little charmers to listen.

"Sorry," the two of them apologized in unison.

Hunter gave them a smile. "You two love each other, right?"

Both girls nodded and linked arms, leaning their heads together. It was quite possibly the cutest thing that their parents had ever seen them do in the midst of one of their little fights.

Catching on to where Hunter was going with this, Stephanie added, "It's not nice to try to hurt someone that you love."

The tone of her voice caught his attention. He looked at the video on the computer and could tell that not only was she referring to what just happened with the girls, but with what happened in their marriage as well. He smiled and winked at her to confirm that he understood what she was saying.

"Shoot," Stephanie said, glancing someplace that Hunter couldn't see. "I gotta go. It's eight."

Hunter nodded in understanding. Christ, he hoped that the girls didn't burst into tears because their mother had to go. That was going to put Stephanie in an even worse mood for Smackdown. "Girls, say goodnight to Mommy."

"Goodnight, Mommy," they said, settling down into their bed.

"Goodnight. I love you."

"Love you," they said in return as their heads finally hit the pillows.

Hunter pulled the covers up over their daughters, before turning back to Stephanie. "Call me before you take off in the morning, okay?"

"I will. I love you, Hunter."

A dorky smile crossed his lips for a moment. "I love you, too. Goodnight, Steph."

"Goodnight," she returned before switching off her webcam, sighing heavily.

Stephanie was so drained that she wanted nothing more than to go back to her hotel room and just pass the hell out. She'd have to be up at an ungodly time to make her flight at six. The upside was that if she took a normal plane, she wouldn't get in until nine, at the earliest. Meaning she'd have to spend even more time at the office to have worked at least four hours there before going home. So this was better. And with the hour of downtime she would have, maybe she could grab a nap. She'd certainly need her energy if she was to do everything she'd told her family that she would.

They weren't going to receive less from her simply because Vincent Kennedy McMahon had some idiotic vendetta against his own daughter for no good reason. She _could _tell Hunter what she was sure was going on with him. But what was the point? He'd just get pissed off, confront Vince and it would lead nowhere. At the office, she mainly tried to just blend in…she did her job well but she certainly didn't behave like she was an heiress – someone poised to become one of the richest women in the entire country. People already thought she probably didn't deserve her position. So she aimed to be treated just like everyone else was.

Unfortunately for her, that meant being barged in on at any given time and apparently being treated like shit if she didn't perform her so-called – yet complete bullshit – "job expectations."

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><p>Thanks for all the reviews, guys! And a special thanks to Angela for that flurry of reviews to both "Boomerang" and this one. You rock!<p>

I totally didn't finish this until 2:30 in the morning (and I'm supposed to be up for work in 4 hours...joy lol) so do forgive any grammatical errors. I'm sure I'll catch most of them later. Until I do? Review, review, review! I'm hoping I can finish this fic around ch. 50...possibly 60, depending on how it all plays out!


	35. Dance for You

This one is for Kristen, who's been hounding me for WEEKS about when this was going to happen. This was the OTHER chapter I've been so desperate to get out. And now it's finally here! I'm so excited, yay! Enjoy. It's pitiful yet hilarious at the same time. Let me know what you think!

The song is "Dance for You" by Beyonce.

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><p>Stephanie sighed in relief as she threw her purse and shoes into the huge walk-in closet. Because she could…she ran at a little sprint and flopped onto the huge bed, delighted as the mattress slightly conformed to her size and shape.<p>

Lying on her back, she decided to just relax for a few minutes. It was twenty minutes past 1 now. Hunter would be here by a quarter past 2 and that would give them almost an hour and a half to themselves before they went to get Karmina and Kaycee. As a precaution, she set her cell phone's alarm to twenty minutes from now. With what she had in mind, she couldn't be all groggy and half asleep. Nor did she want Hunter to walk in and find her passed out on their bed, completely dead to him and the rest of the world when she'd implied she had something sexy in store for him this afternoon.

Yawning, she let her mind drift back to when they'd bought this bed. The pair of them couldn't decide which was more beneficial: a king-sized mattress or a California king-sized mattress. The latter was longer…that was good since they were both pretty tall. However, as a consequence, the mattress would be more narrow and they could give up hope of ever being able to shop for a new set of sheets in person. For this region, they would end up shopping online.

The sales employee quizzed them on their sleeping habits, so that he could better assist them. As usual, Hunter had made some heavily implied comment about their love life – something about rolling around and hardly doing any actual sleeping in the bed. After both she and the employee turned a nice shade of crimson, she'd backhanded Hunter in the stomach and attempted to look at him sternly. But with her mouth twitching into a knowing smile, she really did fail miserably at attempting to reprimand him.

Ultimately, they'd chosen a regular king because they were side sleepers for the most part. Plus, there would be more space for those Saturday mornings when the kids just randomly climbed into bed with them.

Yes, it was good to finally be home. Granted, she and Hunter had taken mini-vacations since they'd been married…but it had been a long time since she'd had to take a business trip. Even if she'd had time to prepare, she still wouldn't have liked leaving her family behind like that. After Vincent got his head out of his ass, hopefully having to leave town overnight was going to be a fairly rare occurrence. Even though Hunter was more than capable of taking care of the kids on his own, he shouldn't regularly have to. They'd both contributed to the kids getting here - therefore they should both participate in their upbringing as much as possible.

Despite her earlier nap, her eyes slid shut and she faded into a light, but much needed, slumber.

To Stephanie, it seemed that only three seconds had gone by before her phone went off, letting her know that it was time to get up. She shut the whining device up and stretched like a satiated feline before finally rolling off of the bed and getting to her feet. It was time to set up the "special" thing she had in store for her husband.

She walked down the spiral staircase at a leisurely pace, her manicured hand sliding along the wrought iron banister. When her bare feet hit the marble floor, she winced for just a moment before continuing on to the living room. She walked to the left of the entertainment center; her blue eyes squinted in concentration while she browsed their large selection of music.

A toothy smile was her reaction as she spotted what she was looking for. Beyoncé's latest single, "Dance for You." The song was absolutely perfect for what she wanted to convey. It spoke about love and appreciation, while being extremely sensual and sexy. It was a bit reminiscent of the track, "Promise" by fellow R&B artist Ciara, but Stephanie liked this song and its lyrics better. It was…deeper. And it applied to her situation better.

The song was a bit lengthy. And quite frankly she knew that both she and her husband's impatience probably wouldn't allow her to dance the entire way through anyway. She just planned to stop when it felt right.

She popped the cd into the stereo and pressed pause at the very beginning of the track. She grabbed the small remote and stuck it in the back pocket of her jeans so that she wouldn't forget to take it with her. A grand entrance is what she wanted – to begin playing the song right as she descended their amazing staircase wearing something that was vaguely revealing. Her mind creating a visual image of her doing just that, she let out a giddy squeal before darting into the kitchen and going straight for the island that was situated in the middle of the room.

She picked up one of the barstools and carried it into the living room, sitting it about midway between the sectional leather couch and the entertainment center. She went back to the kitchen, this time heading for the corner table. She grabbed a chair and took it into the living room, sitting it a few feet away from the barstool. Knowing that her excitement would make her more prone to clumsiness, she pushed the coffee table off to the side of the room where she couldn't potentially trip over the damn thing.

This would work better at night, she realized. Then the house would be dark and she could enhance the mood by casting dim lighting and maybe lighting a few scented candles. But oh well, she'd work with what she had. She spent the next few minutes closing curtains and doing whatever she could to reduce the amount of lighting in their home. They'd bought this house specifically because of the amount of natural light it was received. Today was a sunny day and the best she was going to be able to do was make it seem like it was the early evening. She'd take what she could get.

With a little bounce in her step, she headed back upstairs to change her clothes.

This afternoon she would be…an Irish…mob wife. That would do, since it was her Halloween costume from the prior year. She needed to integrate another persona with her own, just so she wouldn't be tempted to talk about their children, her parents, contract renewals or God-forbid, that they needed to buy more dog food this weekend. She was checking out of her own life and checking into someone else's. Someone that was super sexy, rather vain and a bit mysterious and exciting.

For her make-up she'd gone with a combination of light and medium powder blue eyeshadow, black eyeliner and black mascara to give herself a smoky look and truly set off her eyes. She was rather pleased with the outcome.

Underneath a sinfully short, silky, grey dress with a deep v-cut and somewhat open front, she wore black stockings and a black garter belt. The black teddy that she was wearing pretty much didn't have any sides to it. Other than covering her chest, the lacy material had a strip about three inches wide that ran from just below her breasts and down to her hips before it fanned out. It didn't even cover half of the curve of her ass, but whatever. She hadn't purchased this for its coverage, but for its lack thereof.

To give herself more clothes to remove and enhance the seduction, she threw on a belted, leather coat that barely skimmed the top of her thighs. Her shoes were strappy, black stilletos. They'd eventually hurt like hell, but she wasn't planning on being on her feet for very long. She'd already done loose curls at the end of her hair, so she placed a grey and black fedora hat on to complete her gangster look.

From downstairs, she heard a door close. She couldn't really tell what door it was…but it was a bit odd that she hadn't heard the garage door rumble to signify that Hunter was driving in. She narrowed her eyes in concentration, unable to remember if she'd left the door open. _Probably so,_ she thought. She was exhausted and ready to grab a catnap when she'd dragged herself home. Hunter probably thought she left it open for a purpose; that explained why he clearly hadn't shut it.

Glancing backwards at the clock, she saw that he was earlier than she'd expected. It was five minutes to two. She smiled, at his habit of overshooting how long it would take him to get back to her. It always worked like a charm. And…well, maybe he didn't park in the garage and had come through the front door instead. That wouldn't be too weird, considering they had less than two hours before they needed to get the twins. And it explained why he hadn't called out to her and why she didn't hear his footsteps coming up the stairs.

_Whatever_, she thought with a shake of the head as she walked out of the bedroom. The point was that her husband was finally home and she was ready for her show to begin.

Midway down the stairs, she spotted Hunter sitting on the couch with his arms resting out to the sides, across the top of the cushions. His blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail and somewhat tucked into a ball, like he often did before a workout. She wasn't going to disappoint him; she'd give him a workout, all right.

Stephanie pressed the play button on the remote and sat it down on the banister.

_I just wanna show you how much I appreciate you, yes_

Stephanie giggled quietly to herself while she watched him look all around trying to figure out what the hell was happening and where the music had come from. "Don't say a word, don't do anything. Just watch," she instructed, still midway on the staircase.

He turned around, with his mouth already open to say something. But as soon as his gaze landed on her, his mouth closed and his hazel eyes widened instead. "B-but," he stammered out.

Stephanie pressed a finger to her lips. "Shhhh," she hushed, beginning a slow descent down the rest of the staircase. Her left hand was planted on the banister, while her right hand was on her hip.

_Wanna show you how much I'm dedicated to you, yes  
>Wanna show you how much I will forever be true, yes<em>

She sauntered over to the strategically placed barstool and placed her hands on it, bending over halfway and arching her back as she moved her hips to the beat from left to right.

_Wanna show you how much you got your girl feeling good, oh, yes  
>Wanna show you how much, how much you understood, oh, yes<br>Wanna show you how much I value what you say,  
>Not only are you loyal, you're patient with me babe, oh, yes<em>

_Wanna show you how much I really care about your heart,_  
><em>Wanna show you how much I hate being apart, oh, yes<em>

Standing upright, Stephanie pulled off her hat and threw it at Hunter as if it was a frisbee. It lightly bounced off of his shoulder before landing next to him on the couch. He sat still, as she'd asked, with his hands rubbing his jeans. She resumed rocking her hips from side to side, while running her hands through her hair seductively.

_Show you, show you, show you, till you through with me,  
>I wanna keep it how it is so you can never say how it used to be!<em>

While continuing to sway to the beat, Stephanie placed her hands on the belt of her jacket, untying it slowly as she turned so that her back was facing him.

_Loving you is really all that's on my mind_

She glanced over her shoulder and smiled at Hunter as she slowly raised her shoulders, allowing the jacket to slide down and expose her shoulders. She took her arms out of the sleeves and continued to dance to the music, using the jacket to somewhat caress her thighs and back as she turned around to face him.

_And I can't help but to think about it day and night,  
>I wanna make that body rock<em>

As an accentuation to the command the song gave, Stephanie took the jacket off and threw it across the room in one fluid motion.

_Sit back and watch!_

_Tonight I'm gonna dance for you, oh-oh_  
><em>Tonight I'm gonna dance for you, oh-oh<em>  
><em>Tonight I'm gonna put my body on your body<em>  
><em>Boy I like it when you watch me, ah<em>

To heighten the experience, Stephanie decided to pretend that her own hands were Hunter's hands. She thought about where he'd be putting them, if he were allowed to touch her during this little striptease. Where _wouldn't _he put them, was probably a better question, though.

With that thought, she walked over to the chair planting her hands on the armrest so that she could bend over and wiggle her ass just to tease him. She took one hand off of the stool and ran it through her hair wildly, making her long, curled strands lay wildly all across her chest and back.

_Tonight it's going down_  
><em>I'll be rocking on my babe, rocking, rocking on my babe,<em>  
><em>Swirlin' on my babe, swirlin', swirlin' on my babe<em>  
><em>Baby let me put my body on your body<em>  
><em>Promise not to tell nobody<em>  
><em>'Cause it's 'bout to go down!<em>

Circling her hips in a tantalizing figure 8, she slowly walked around to the front of the chair. She ran her hands from her neck all the way down to the top of her thighs as she did so.

She sat down in the chair, tossing her hair to the side. She opened her legs quickly, reached one hand all the way down to the floor, closed her legs and extended one of them to the side. Planting a hand on her thigh, she gyrated in the seat, pretending that it was her husband.

_You'll never need 2 'cause I will be your number 1  
>Them other chicks are superficial<br>But I know you know I'm the one_

Using the armrests, she pushed herself to stand halfway, with her back arched as she dramatically moved her hips all around. With a wild toss of her hair she vacated the chair entirely and slid to her knees on the floor.

_That's why I'm all into you  
>'Cause I can recognize that you know that<br>That's why I'm backing this thing back_

Stephanie jerked her butt back in tune with the music before arching and tossing her head backwards as if she was having an intense orgasm.

_Pop-popping this thing back_  
><em>Drop, drop, drop-dropping this thing back<em>

Slowly, she brought herself back up and began to randomly caress herself all over, like her husband would normally be doing.

_This is for the time you gave me flowers  
>For the world that is ours<br>For the mula, for the power of love  
>And no I won't never ever e-ever give you up<em>

_And I wanna say thank you in case I don't thank you enough_  
><em>A woman in the street and a freak in the you know what<em>

She tossed her head from side to side, making her hair flail around wildly before pushing herself back up to stand again.

_Sit back, sit back, it's the pre-game show  
>Daddy you know what's up! <em>

Stephanie strutted over to her husband, dancing to the music and feeling herself up, the entire way over. As she approached him, she almost wanted to laugh at the very cute, yet very shocked gaze that he wore. Almost as if he had absolutely no idea she was capable of dancing like a stripper for him. Normally they didn't have time for this kind of foreplay because of the kids. But when they could ditch the brood for a day or so, she definitely made up for lost time by doing stuff like this. Today, she was making sure to squeeze this in, to sort of celebrate them finally getting back to normal, relationship-wise.

_Loving you is really all that's on my mind  
>And I can't help but to think about it day and night,<br>I wanna make that body rock  
>Sit back and watch!<em>

Finally standing a few feet in front of him, she grabbed the bottom of the dress with both hands, pulling it from side to side as she slowly lifted it upwards, teasing the hell out of him. She made sure she was out of arm's reach; he couldn't be trusted not to just rip the dress right off of her and tear it to shreds in the process.

_Tonight I'm gonna dance for you, oh-oh  
>Tonight I'm gonna dance for you, oh-oh<br>Tonight I'm gonna put my body on your body  
>Boy I like it when you watch me, ah<em>

Having tortured him enough, she pulled the silky dress off and turned around so that she was no longer facing Hunter. She held her arms above her head as she swayed to the beat, allowing him to enjoy seeing her body being barely covered from behind. After a few moments, she eased down into his lap and wrapped the dress around the back of his neck, moving it around as she ground her hips and ass into him. She smiled when he pressed his lips to her neck and brought her further into him by grabbing her hips.

_Tonight it's going down  
>I'll be rocking on my babe, rocking, rocking on my babe,<br>I'll be swirlin' on my babe, swirlin', swirlin' on you babe  
>I'm gonna put my body on your body<br>Promise not to tell nobody  
>'Cause it's about to go down!<em>

"Fuck, Steph…" he groaned out against her skin.

The hell with it, Stephanie decided. They'd made it through more than half of the song. She couldn't take it anymore. The sexual tension was just building and building. She'd purposely tried not to look at Hunter very much while she was dancing. She knew that the unmistakable combination of lust and love in his eyes would send her over the edge. She probably wouldn't have even got through 60 seconds of the damn song. Letting the dress fall away from her hands, she turned in his lap, her long legs now resting on the couch. She grabbed the fedora hat from beside him and stuck it on top of his head just for fun. After that, she wasted no time tilting her head and pressing her lips to his in a heated kiss.

_Imma take this time to show you how much you mean to me  
>'Cause you are all I need<br>No money can emphasize or describe the love that's in between the lines  
>Boy look into my eyes<br>When I'm grinding on you, this is beyond sex  
>Boy I'm high on you, and if it's real<br>Then you know how I feel_

Parting her lips a little bit, she allowed his tongue to mingle with hers. Her eyebrows drew together in confusion for a moment. Something…wasn't right. It didn't feel right…the touching, she meant. Hunter's hand was running up her thighs. That wasn't unusual, but still. And something about the kiss was…she didn't know. It was just…unsettling.

And all of this damned thinking she was doing while she made out with him? This never happened; she was usually too caught up in what they were doing to be analyzing shit. This was strange.

Unfamiliar_, _was the adjective she finally settled on.

Her eyes popped open suddenly. That was it. It was fucking unfamiliar because it wasn't…oh God.

She tapped against his shoulder wildly right as she felt him try to guide her back onto the couch.

_Rocking on you, babe, rocking, rocking, on you, babe  
>Swirling on you, babe,<br>In my mind all I can think about is a frame for our future  
>And the pictures of the past,<br>And a chance to make this love last, oh, oh_

He broke the kiss with an out of breath, "What?"

Stephanie stared closely at his face. She was sure that hers was displaying varying degrees of horror and shock at this very moment. But one real, good look into his eyes and she recognized the absence of love mixed in with the lust. Now she knew the truth – and felt fucking stupid for not paying better attention before.

This was _not _her husband.


	36. Dance For You, Too

A lot is going on in this chapter, guys...And as a fair warning to the more squeamish readers I'm going to warn you: once we get to the song lyrics, there is detailed smut. Sweet stuff is mixed in there...but it's mostly smut, I'm telling you. LOL. The lyrics will pick up where they left off in the previous chapter - so just imagine her doing the exact same dance up until that point - seemed silly to cut and paste it all.

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

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><p>That arrogant smirk graced Howard's face as he peered down at her. And Stephanie suddenly became infuriated.<p>

"Get the hell away from me!" She seethed, quickly swinging her legs around so that she could stand up from the couch.

His face fell and he looked genuinely confused before he seemingly became irritated. "What's your deal?" He asked.

Stephanie's blue eyes widened and she scoffed loudly. "What's my deal?" she questioned. "What's my DEAL?" She asked again, waving an arm in the air. "How about the fact that you let me dance around practically fucking naked, rub all over you and make out with you?"

At this, Howard stood up, holding his hands out for peace. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," he said quickly. "Honey, I'm a guy. A single guy. What was I supposed to do, stop you?"

"What the hell is _wrong _with you? Hunter is your brother, for Christ's sake!"

Howard's eyebrows lifted fractionally. "What's wrong with _you_ that you would cheat on your husband with his tw-"

Before Howard could finish his statement, Stephanie drew her hand back and slapped him across the cheek as hard as she possibly could. She pressed her lips into a thin line, her eyes burning a hole through him as she watched him lose his balance and fall back onto the couch. "How dare you!"

Poking his tongue into his cheek, he was surprised to find that he didn't taste any blood. He couldn't lie; the woman's slap was pretty powerful. He laughed a little bit and straightened his posture again. "Kinky little thing you are," he commented. Tilting his head, he gave her a smirk. "Add some chains to that outfit of yours and you may make a good dominatrix."

Widening her eyes for a moment, Stephanie looked down. In the midst of her barely contained rage, she forgot that she wasn't wearing a whole lot. Quickly, her left hand grabbed her discarded dress from the couch and used it to shield her most intimate area. She crossed her right arm over the top of her chest to cover up the mounds of her breasts. "You're disgusting. You know that?"

One shoulder lifted in a shrug. "Says the cheater."

"Fuck you, Howard."

"That's exactly what you should be doing." Howard reached his hands out and tried to pull Stephanie down to him. Stephanie wrenched herself away from him before she drew her right hand back and slapped him repeatedly, wherever she could get to him. He squirmed on the couch and held up his hands, trying to get away from her. "Enough with the hitting!" He finally yelled.

"How the hell did you even get in here?" Stephanie asked.

"Ow," he complained, narrowing his eyes at her, bringing his hand up to rub his sore cheek. "I already knew the code…and Hunter gave me a key to the front door."

Muttering unintelligibly, Stephanie shook her head. This mishap could have been prevented had her husband simply informed her that he'd done that. It would've been better if he'd asked her how she felt about it first…but recently he'd been a little touchy when it came to decision-making. Now she was stuck in this complete mess.

Hell, she felt so horrible. Her mouth and her skin had basically been violated by someone who looked exactly like her husband. Except she hadn't known she was being violated until after it happened. She was so damn upset she could hardly see straight. Meanwhile Howard was as calm as ever, with the exception of being noticeably horny. He was looking at her like she was a piece of meat and was continuing to proposition her to ignore the fact that he was not her damn husband.

Christ, how was she going to tell Hunter about this? It wasn't her fault that she didn't know Howard had a key. There was no reason for her to question whether the tall guy with the long, blonde hair, sitting on the fucking couch in _her _house, was her husband or not. Their relationship seemed to be back to where it was before the Howard mix-up. Undoubtedly, another mix-up would piss him off. But would he be pissed at her? That was the question she found herself asking.

Keeping this to herself wasn't a viable option. Despite the fact that this totally wasn't on her, she still felt guilty. Furthermore, Hunter needed to know that his brother was a total douche without the slightest clue what the words "family" or "loyalty" meant. She'd refrain from telling her husband, "I told you so." He'd probably be feeling vulnerable and hurt enough without her adding snarky, sarcastic comments.

Drawing her bottom lip in, she bit down for a moment before speaking. Stephanie shifted her feet uncomfortably, feeling utterly exposed…because she pretty much was. "Just leave, Howard."

Howard acknowledged her command with a small nod. He narrowed his eyes for a moment. "All right," he uttered awkwardly as he stood up. "Well…I enjoyed the show, for what it's worth," he added with a grin.

Stephanie clenched both of her hands, wishing she wasn't basically naked. Otherwise, she'd drop her arm and her garment and just attack Howard. She pulled the dress upwards, letting it hang down her body vertically so that it covered both areas she needed to shield. One hand was now free. "Give me my fucking hat and get the hell OUT!" She yelled, reaching out to push against his chest before she yanked the hat from on top of his head.

Howard laughed at her outburst, but still headed for the door. Without another word or glance at her, he slipped out and shut it behind himself.

Stephanie tossed the hat and dress onto the couch, ran over to the door and locked it. Although, in her anger she'd totally forgotten to demand that he give the key back. So technically, he could just wander right back into the house. She had a feeling that he wouldn't, though. Not today, at least – he'd have to know she'd be on the lookout for him now.

Resting her back against the door, she lightly thumped her head against it and slid down a bit. "Shit!" She exclaimed with a frustrated sigh. "Damn it, damn it, goddamn shit!" She nearly cried, tugging on her hair as she pushed herself up again.

As she headed for the stairs, she prioritized the things she needed to do before Hunter got home. She probably didn't have much time – not that she ever knew exactly when Hunter would be coming home. The first thing she absolutely had to do was sanitize her damn mouth. After that, she had to clean up the living room and put everything back as it had been. If Hunter saw it, he'd know what she had planned…and quite frankly she just wasn't really up to a repeat performance.

A few minutes later, Stephanie found herself downstairs again. She felt a little better now that she'd cleansed her mouth out a couple of times. Deciding to put her things back upstairs first, she walked over to the couch to retrieve the dress and fedora hat.

The slight rumble of the garage door informed her that she was absolutely out of time. She winced…and wasn't sure whether she should run away and put some damn clothes on…or stay here and just blurt out what happened before she lost her nerve to do so.

No, she wouldn't have enough time to run without him seeing or hearing her. That just made her look guilty as hell. Instead, she quickly pulled the dress on and put the hat on top of her head. She ran over to where she'd thrown down her leather jacket and plucked the garment up right as the kitchen door opened.

Stephanie turned around and walked back in the direction of the kitchen. As soon as she spotted her husband, she opened her mouth and prepared to inform of what just happened. "Hunter, I-"

The words lodged in her throat at the damn near blinding smile he sent her when their eyes locked. It seemed like it had been forever since he looked at her that way. In fact, the very last time was on the day that the Howard mix-up happened. She'd been in the kitchen knocking back a bottle of wine when he came in with the twins. He'd sent her the same sort of smile on that day…before she slapped him and ruined their marriage, of course. Now the smile was truly back and she found herself at a loss for words.

At any rate, no words would have been able to come out – Hunter walked briskly to where she was standing and lifted her off of the ground. Instinctively, her legs wrapped around his waist for stability. Stephanie threw her head back and laughed for a moment before clutching his upper back in a hug.

"I'm so glad you're home," he declared. With the way he was holding her, he was pretty much talking directly into her shoulder.

She smiled at his admission, even though he couldn't see it. "So am I. I missed you so much, baby."

Hunter pulled back a little bit so that he could kiss her on the lips as a greeting. Finally, he sat her back down. His next statement was on the tip of his tongue, but he completely forgot about it and tilted his head instead. "Hmm," he muttered, the look in his eyes changing from sweet, to something else she recognized all too well. He took a step back and eyed her up and down, very much liking what he saw. It looked like she was preparing for an infamous striptease, perhaps. "Did I interrupt…something?" He asked as casually as he possibly could.

Stephanie didn't miss the fact that the corners of his lips were threatening to twitch into one of those mischievous smiles of his. Had her husband come home just five minutes earlier, he'd have been interrupting one of two things: her dancing or her cursing out Howard. Neither of which she'd be mentioning at this time.

How could she? The man was legitimately happy as a fucking clam to see her. It was a welcomed surprise compared to how things had been in the last week or so. They were perfectly fine again, it seemed. She didn't want to wreck that over the mix-up that had just occurred. At least not right now. She wanted to enjoy one drama free afternoon with her husband before all hell broke loose, yet again. She'd tell him what happened eventually.

"Actually," she said, drawing out the word. "You did. You stay in here while I finish setting up." But for the next few minutes she was simply going to dance for him. At least she already had her routine down, more or less.

* * *

><p>Tonight I'm gonna dance for you, oh-oh<br>Tonight I'm gonna dance for you, oh-oh  
>Tonight I'm gonna put my body on your body<br>Boy I like it when you watch me, ah  
>Tonight it's going down<p>

At the same moment she straddled his lap, Stephanie grabbed both sides of Hunter's face and kissed him hard. Hunter's hands purposely settled above her hips, in places that the skimpy teddy didn't cover. Tilting her head, Stephanie parted her lips, smiling when Hunter accepted her invitation to deepen their kiss.

Beneath her, she could literally feel his desire for her…rising, so to speak. Moaning against his lips as his tongue glided across hers, she pressed herself into him further. It was nothing short of amazing that the two of them still wanted each other so much, despite their many years of being together. Their relationship had always thrived on passion – and not just the physical kind. Their passion for the sports entertainment industry combined with their aspirations to one-up Vince McMahon had caused their paths to cross in the first place. Their passion and love for each other and their children is what caused them to stay joined. It wasn't always easy; no marriage ever was. But it was damn worth it for both of them.

I'll be rocking on my babe, rocking, rocking on my babe,  
>I'll be swirlin' on my babe, swirlin', swirlin' on you babe<br>I'm wanna put my body on your body  
>Promise not to tell nobody<br>'Cause it's about to go down, oh!

It was Stephanie who decided they'd both pass out unless they finally came up for air. Out of breath, she pecked his lips softly and simply whispered, "Too many clothes." Reaching down between them, she grasped the bottom of his t-shirt and tugged it upwards.

To help her out, Hunter held up his arms until she slid the material over them and tossed the shirt somewhere behind the couch. In a flash, his wife's hands were on his chest, her nails gently raking up and down his skin.

Watch me pop it, pop it, p-p-p-p-pop it for you baby  
>Drop it, drop it, drop it, drop it for you baby<br>Watch it, watch it, watch it, watch me throw it baby  
>Wanna make that body rock<br>Sit back and watch!

One of Hunter's hands ran along her spine until reaching the back of her head. He held her in place so that he could press his lips to the side of her neck. He kissed up to her earlobe before licking a slow, heated trail to the area between her neck and shoulders. He continued on his path, skimming his lips over her collarbone and down to the valley between her breasts.

Me pop it, pop it, p-p-p-p-pop it for you baby  
>Drop it, drop it, drop it, drop it for you baby<br>Watch it, watch it, watch it, watch me throw it baby  
>Wanna make that body rock<br>Sit back and watch!

Lifting his head for a moment, he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively as he undid the bow she'd had to tie in the back of the teddy. The material fell away from her chest and one side was almost instantly replaced by Hunter's tongue. The other, he kneaded using his fingertips.

Arching her back, she gave in to him even more. Greedily accepting her offer, he sucked the hardened bud of flesh into his mouth, swirling his tongue all around for a minute or two.

"Oh…oh, God," Stephanie sighed in pleasure, fastening her hands in his hair as he gave one final, firmer suck before alternating to the other side.

When he felt that he'd given the creamy mounds of flesh equal attention, he pulled away slightly and allowed Stephanie to pull him into another passionate kiss. He could feel her undoing the band of his hair, while his own hands traveled downwards, pulling the teddy along the way. He reached the garters and unhooked them, his hands squeezing her ass before he stood up, still holding her. He somewhat reversed their positioning: sitting her on the edge of the couch, while he slid to his knees on the floor.

Yes  
>Yes<br>Yes  
>Oh, yes<br>Oh, yes  
>Yes<br>Yes  
>Oh, yes<p>

Looking up at her face, he swore he almost lost it right then and there. The smoky makeup was incredibly sexy on her regardless. But combined with the darkening of her blue eyes and the way she was biting down on her lip in anticipation, it was a recipe for him not being able to hold back at all. He reached up, grabbing the piece of lingerie that was pooled around her hips and dragged it down her long legs, caressing them as he went. He tossed the garment behind them in the living room somewhere, paying no attention whatsoever to where it landed.

Deciding that he was far too impatient to bother with the strappy heels, he left them be. He kissed a trail up her legs, through the stockings, watching her the entire time. Already, her chest was heaving up and down more rapidly because she knew exactly what he had in store for her. He kissed her left inner thigh and then slowly dragged his lips over the place where she currently most desired them.

Then he kissed her right inner thigh.

"Hunter!"

"Yes, baby?"

Stephanie could literally feel his lips upturned into a smirk, against her skin. "Stop teasing me," she whined, her voice full of desire.

Hunter brushed his index finger up the slit of her entry, unable to hide his smile when her body jerked and she hissed lowly. Ah, what the hell – he'd tortured her enough for now. His tongue made the same path that his finger had, stopping when he reached the tender, swollen bud of flesh. He licked and sucked with vigor, while his wife moaned and writhed on their couch.

He grabbed her left hip with his right hand and used his forearm to lightly hold down her right hip. With his left hand, he slipped a finger inside of her, immediately setting a moderate pace.

"Ohhh…oh fuck. Mmm, faster," she demanded.

He did as she asked, encouraged by her breaths coming in short gasps, her hips bucking, and her hands smashing his head into her body. He could feel her begin to tighten around his finger, so he began to suck at her core a little more forcefully.

"Oh…my…oh…God!" She finally cried out, her back arching off of the couch as the waves of her orgasm rolled through her.

Stephanie relaxed into the couch cushions, her body still quivering and clenching in the aftermath of her release. How the hell did she get this lucky? She had a gorgeous man with a perfect physique who loved her just as much as she loved him. Their love life was nowhere near in danger of fading away and he was an amazing and very giving lover. Seriously, she needed to thank whoever had handpicked him for her. There was no way this kind of thing happened on accident. So they must have been made for each other.

All of these thoughts were running through her mind while she watched him move back and stand up so that he could rid himself of his denim prison. To be quite honest, she wouldn't have been shocked if he'd have literally poked a hole through the damn material, he was so hard. He stepped out of the jeans and boxers, kicking them to the side carelessly. She adjusted herself on the couch, scooting to the corner so that she was leaning her head somewhat against the armrest and somewhat against the cushion.

Hunter's eyes connected with hers again as he got on his knees on the couch and inched towards her. She rubbed his cheeks affectionately before lowering her hands down to his shoulders as he moved to hover above her. The head of his length slipped inside of her slowly, his lips finding hers as he pushed farther and farther.

It really was good to have her home again.

* * *

><p>FYI we're now at Fri Sep 19, 2008 :)<p> 


	37. Happy Birthday

Okay, so! This is a seriously long chapter. A lot of family stuff needed to happen...and at CATY'S request I didn't fuck up the marriage again in this chapter. She wanted smut instead of fighting. Eventually other people got on board to second the motion...As a result of much pestering there's LOTS of graphic smut directly after the bathtub scene. Granted, there's some sweet/funny stuff in there...but it's mostly smut. You've been warned! Don't judge me; it was out of my hands! LMAO

If there's typos at the end, my apologies. I was working with a deadline from...well YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE, GIRLS! Enjoy, try to take everything in...and let me know what ya think!

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><p>Near the front desk of the hair salon, two little hands tugged on Stephanie's right arm as she finished telling the receptionist what needed doing. The tall brunette turned to look down at her oldest daughter.<p>

"But Mommy we don't want a haircut," Karmina said.

"They won't cut a lot…maybe just this much," Stephanie said, holding her thumb and index finger a couple of inches apart.

"Too much," Kaycee complained, crossing her arms over her chest.

Stephanie sighed as both of her girls looked up at her with pleading blue eyes and pouting lips. Yep, she could see why this usually worked on Hunter when either she or the girls did this. Basically, she was looking at younger, mirrored versions of herself and yet she still found it difficult to resist giving in to them. Maybe if she tried a different approach she could convince them to allow the cut. Granted, she was the parent in this situation…and ultimately the girls _would _be getting a trim, at the very least. But she preferred for them not to have it while they were kicking, screaming and crying.

Running her hands over their wavy, light brown ponytails, she crouched down in front of them. No, some of this definitely needed to go. The split ends weren't too bad, but she felt it was better to trim them sooner, rather than later. The other factor was that the girls just had a ridiculous amount of hair. She was honestly surprised that their little heads weren't constantly pulled backwards by the weight of their hair. It was perilously close to reaching their waists, plus it was so thick that she didn't have words to describe it. They could thank Hunter for the thickness and for his contribution to the wavy texture. "Okay, you two. Why don't you want your hair cut?"

"Becaaaaause, Mommy…" Kaycee said, exasperatedly throwing her arms out to the side. "We wanna be pretty like you."

Karmina lightly tugged on her mother's arm again to make sure she had her attention. "And-and you have long hair and we want it, too."

Well, damn. How could she argue with that? It wasn't exactly a secret that the girls mostly favored her. Stephanie knew it, Hunter knew it, the girls knew it, the whole family knew it…even strangers and their damn pets knew it. Not that she'd ever attempt to do so, but she couldn't deny that she was the twins' mother even if she tried. The two of them were small clones of her that just happened to have lighter, wavy hair. She'd been wearing her hair wavy quite a bit lately, so a quick dye job would make it look like she literally made the girls without her husband's assistance.

Stephanie had left work a bit earlier than usual so that she could grab the twins from school. Hunter's prospects for the day had gotten their matches pushed back by an hour. She had planned to get a little bit pampered as her pre-birthday gift to herself. The afternoon had begun with mother and daughters heading to the nail salon. The girls were too young for a full treatment, but Stephanie did allow them to have their nails polished. Given that both girls picked colors very near to what Stephanie had, she should have anticipated that they'd want their hair similar to hers.

So this somehow flattering and sweet prelude to a twin tantrum was totally on Stephanie. How could it not be, when she'd allowed her own hair to just about reach her waist, as well? She'd been curling and crinkling it so often lately simply because its length got in her way, otherwise. "I'm cutting my hair today, you know."

"Really?" They both asked in their high pitched voices.

"Yes, really," she reassured them. "Are you girls suuuure you don't want a little cut today?"

"We want it!"

At times like these she was thankful that Karmina and Kaycee were so young. Persuading them at this age was a far easier task than it would be when they were older. Stephanie grinned and kissed each girl on the cheek before taking their hands and leading them into the area where the stylists were waiting for them.

Two and a half hours later, Stephanie held the door to the kitchen open, letting the twins walk in before her. She shook her head at the sound of engines revving, followed by a crash.

"Oh, you ate it, kid!" Hunter said with a hearty laugh.

"I'll catch up," Jack said in determination, leaning forward on the couch, under the impression that being closer to the game console would somehow help him drive better.

Upon reaching the couch and having a better view of the television, the twins stopped walking. "Hi Daddy and Jack!" They both said with a wave.

"Hey," father and son mumbled out at the same time. Hunter turned his head for a quick second, shooting the twins a smile. "I like the hair, baby girls."

"Thank you, Daddy!" They said with much excitement. About four inches of hair had been chopped off, making their light brown waves hang just below their shoulder blades. Although the stylists had tried their best to persuade them, both girls declined getting bangs. Their mommy didn't have any bangs, so they didn't want them either.

Sparks appeared on the television and Karmina and Kaycee giggled at Jack's inability to keep his vehicle from scraping against the side of the track. Their mother walked up beside them and playfully rolled her eyes before attempting to get their father and brother's attention. "Hello to my boys in here," she called out above the sounds of the game.

"Hey Mommy," Jack muttered before poking his tongue out of the side of his mouth in concentration.

"Hello," Hunter said distractedly. He kept his eyes glued to the television for a couple more seconds, before he finally turned his head to acknowledge his wife. His hazel eyes blinked and he remained silent while he took in her appearance. She'd cut her hair…a lot, actually but it was still pretty long. She'd chosen a layered style; the lengthiest part was resting in soft waves just above her chest. The shortest part came just below her chin and somehow highlighted her facial features even more. His lips curved up into a smile as he continued to admire the new look.

Stephanie chuckled a little bit and cleared her throat. "Eyes on the road, babe," she suggested lightly.

Hunter's eyebrows raised a tiny fraction. "Huh?"

Stephanie vaguely gestured to the game. Hunter turned his head to find Jack's car passing by, while his own car sat in a ditch. After a few seconds of trying to catch up, Hunter sat the game controller down. Jackson had won and was laughing hysterically at his expense. If he didn't know any better, he'd swear that the clever little boy had somehow conspired with Stephanie to secure the win. What were the odds of Stephanie walking in, somehow managing to look even more drop-dead gorgeous than she had been when he'd seen her this morning?

Although now that he thought about it…that was something that happened with some regularity; Stephanie outdoing herself in terms of beauty.

Hazel eyes narrowed in playful suspicion as Hunter stood up from the couch. "Are you working with the boy to make me lose the race?" He asked Stephanie, taking a couple steps closer to her.

"Hey I tried to help you by telling you to watch the road," she said with a shrug. "Not my fault you couldn't keep your eyes on the game."

One side of his mouth lifted in a smirk as he grabbed Stephanie's left hand and yanked her up against him. "Oh, it's _very _much your fault."

God, he smelled good. His light cologne mixed with his natural scent was both comforting and intoxicating. He'd barely touched her and already she was thinking of what she'd do to and with him if they had any semblance of privacy at the moment. Biting down on her lip for composure, she asked, "How do you figure?"

"You changed your hair…and you shouldn't be so…pretty…and…well, you! It's distracting!" He finally concluded, playing with the rings on her finger.

"But you like me," she pointed out with a wide smile, looping her free arm around his neck.

"Mmhmm," he murmured. "I'm quite fond of you, actually."

A giggle interrupted the moment. "Daddy loves Mommy," Karmina blurted out excitedly.

"What she said," Hunter confirmed with a small chuckle.

Stephanie leaned up a little bit, pressing her lips to Hunter's sweetly. She pulled back and couldn't help but smile at him like a giddy schoolgirl. "Do you guys think that I love Daddy back?" She asked of the kids.

"YEAH!" The girls chimed in simultaneously.

Stephanie laughed and nodded her head, before shrugging at Hunter again. "Our kids are little geniuses, what can I say?" Though that was likely true, she also knew that it was generally obvious to anyone that had eyes. There wasn't a single person she'd encountered within the last few years that couldn't tell that she loved Hunter immensely. When he wasn't present, it was in the way she spoke about him…and when he was present it was mostly in the way she gawked at him as if she expected the mysteries of the universe to be explained to her just by looking into his eyes.

Granted, she'd been a major asshole to him and it had caused him to basically dish it back out to her, somewhat unknowingly. But they seemed to be completely back to normal. They were flirting and being corny and dorky while doing so.

Which was exactly why now was still not the time to tell him about the fiasco with Howard. Mostly, the jerk had kept his distance. He hadn't shown up randomly, that she knew of. He hadn't overextended himself in an attempt to hang out with Hunter and vice versa. Maybe he had simply let the moment get the better of him and now that he'd calmed down he was exhibiting some sort of decency and respect.

Even still, the way he'd spoken to, touched and ogled her was horribly upsetting. Undoubtedly it was going to upset Hunter. With his irrational behavior having totally subsided, she felt that he'd place blame exactly where it was deserved: with his shithead brother. But she wasn't too keen on getting her man all pissed off, the day before her birthday. He was taking the day off and planning to spend it with her, while the kids were at school.

However, Hunter was bound to be angry with her for keeping this from him, regardless of her reasoning. That was a given; a guarantee. There was absolutely no way around it.

And okay, _maybe _that was a contributing factor to her stalling. Maybe.

Jackson sighed heavily from the couch. "Can we eat?"

"Sure," Hunter confirmed. It was pretty much half past six already and unless Stephanie had taken the twins out for a late lunch, the three of them were bound to be pretty hungry, as well. He pulled his wife towards the kitchen as he spoke to her. "I picked up roasted chicken, mixed veggies and a couple other side orders."

"Good thinking; that saves us from having to cook or do a bunch of cleaning tonight."

"A kiss for my thoughtfulness, perhaps?" He asked.

Of course, she could be a smartass or simply play hard-to-get for a moment. She had comments in her head that fell under each category. Yet, instead of using either remark, she simply flashed a smile at him and wrapped her arms around his neck, waiting just a moment before his lips met hers briefly.

Hunter released Stephanie's hand when they reached the kitchen sink. "Everyone wash your hands before we eat," he instructed lightly, watching with an amused expression as the three children scampered off towards the guest restroom that was downstairs. He and Stephanie chose to just wash their hands in the kitchen, since they were more than tall enough to reach the sink without assistance.

"Soooooo," Stephanie said, playfully dragging out the word as she dried her hands using a paper towel. "What do you have in store for me tomorrow?"

Hunter laughed and tapped her nose with his index finger. "You'll just have to wait and see."

Stephanie jutted her bottom lip out in a pout. "But I'm impatient."

"Hmm," Hunter muttered thoughtfully. "That's true. Well, this can be your chance to finally work on that virtue."

"Baby," she said in a pitiful, whiny voice. Stephanie wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her forehead against his upper back. That was as far as she could reach, since she was currently barefoot. "Please?"

Hunter turned around in her arms, drawing her into a hug. "Hmm," he muttered again. "No," he decided quickly before smacking her on the ass on a pure whim.

Stephanie let out a surprised shriek, while Hunter laughed and swiftly moved away and started pulling plates down from the cupboard, right as the kids came running back into the kitchen. She held back from making her reply to his little stunt, known. Instead, she began to grab utensils from the drawers, setting them down on each plate that Hunter presented.

A shake of the head was her only response to the sly little grin he sent her as they worked together to scoop food onto each child's plate before handing them over. Once the kids were settled and eating and the parents began fixing their own meals, she clucked her tongue. "You know I'm gonna make you pay for that later, right?"

Hunter chuckled at her before pulling a chicken leg onto his plate. He shrugged his shoulders casually. "Babe," he started slowly. "Somehow your versions of 'punishing' me are usually rather enjoyable," he commented, winking at her for good measure.

"Oh my God…Go away and eat," she scolded, lightly swatting his arm.

Hunter raised his eyebrows in a questioning manner. "Eat, you say? As soon as we're rid of the children, darling. Once we're alone I'll-"

Feeling the heat rising to her cheeks, Stephanie grabbed his piece of chicken from his plate and shoved it into his mouth. "There. Maybe that'll quell your urge for a while."

With a shake of her head, she pushed him until he started walking towards the table on his own. Stephanie helped herself to a serving of vegetables, smiling as she listened to the chatter between Hunter and their daughters. The twins were telling him all about the nail and hair salon and why they'd chosen the color and style that they had.

On her way to the last seat at the table, Stephanie stopped and took notice of the expression on Jackson's face. The poor kid looked like he couldn't be more bored if he tried. As a father, Hunter was all but required to take an interest in everything that each child did with their day. But Jack probably couldn't care less about nail polish and the girls' haircuts. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to the boy's temple. "You okay?"

Jack nodded and gave her a small smile, shoving a fork full of mashed potatoes into his mouth. His eyes were closer to Hunter's hazel color more than anything right now, as he peered at her somewhat questioningly.

"Come with me for a sec," she invited, holding out her hand to her son. His smaller hand grasped hers and they walked together until reaching the staircase, somewhat out of earshot of Hunter and the girls. Jack seemed to have been behaving pretty normally when he was only with his father. And if the faraway look in his eyes had been solely due to the twins, he'd have had some comment about it. He'd have teased them in his usual way. That left her with the thought that he had something on his mind that was related to her and her alone.

Stephanie took a seat on the stairs so that she was mostly at eye level with her son. "Jack, you know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

"I know," he commented.

"So tell me what's going on. Why do you look so sad, huh?" She asked.

"Are we gonna stay a family?"

For a moment, she was stunned and could only blink in confusion. Would they stay a family? Jesus Christ. She thought that everything had been going fine within the last few days. Maybe she'd missed something. Or maybe she and Hunter's prior relationship issues had been more visible to Jack than they'd originally thought. At any rate, she needed to know why exactly he was asking, so that she could reassure him that the Helmsley's would be staying intact.

"I'm gonna answer your question…but has anything happened to make you think we wouldn't be a family anymore?"

Jack shrugged and looked at the floor as he shuffled his feet. "Well, Daddy disappeared that one night. He tucked me in and when I woke up the next day he was gone. And you were taking us to school and he was picking us up, but we didn't eat together…and Dad didn't sleep here."

Stephanie bit down on her lip, resolved to remain completely silent to let her son express his feelings. Unknowingly, he was kind of breaking her heart here. After all, she was the one who'd kicked his Dad out for something he hadn't even done.

"Then Dad starts sleeping here again and we all eat together, but you guys aren't like normal…you didn't talk or look at each other as much. Then you left for some days. Now you're back, but we're going to Grandma and Grandpa's. The night Daddy left he said he loves you." Jack placed his hands on her shoulders, his hazel eyes watering as he proceeded to plead with her. "You have to fix it, Mommy! Dad already said he'd do anything not to break up."

"Hey, hey, hey," she finally interrupted, wrapping her arms around the little boy's back in a tight hug when his voice cracked. It was a struggle to keep her own tears at bay while she tried to console him. This was partially Vince's fault, too. He was the one with an asinine vendetta against her and had decided to send her away on business abruptly. If she was in her son's shoes, she'd be concerned about the health of the marriage, also. The frequent disappearance of one or more parents was surely sending the wrong signal, especially since he was aware that the two of them had been fighting recently.

Because she didn't want Vince screwing up her birthday, she'd gone to her mother for help. She'd talked enough sense into the man that he hadn't tried to prevent her or Hunter from taking the day off. Nor had he randomly sent her out of town, or sent Hunter farther than usual. She wasn't sure how long that was going to last, but she'd relax for the time being.

Stephanie pulled back so that she could see Jack and make sure that he believed her words. A few medium brown, curly strands had fallen out of his ponytail. She smoothed them down and asked, "Remember what I said at Grandma and Grandpa's when we had the pool party?"

Jackson sniffled and replied, "Yeah…that you thought Dad was being bad so you made him leave. But you found out he wasn't being bad."

She smiled and nodded and confirmation. "Exactly. That's why he's back at home now. And I'm so, so sorry for the mistake I made. I'm sorry that it's still affecting all of us. I _am _trying everything I can think of to make it up to your Daddy. I didn't leave town because we're mad at each other…I was sent away because of my job and I didn't want to go. But we're not fighting anymore, Jack. As for tonight? Your Dad wants to spend all day tomorrow with me. We're gonna sleep in. Your grandma is picking you guys up so that she can take you to school in the morning. That's all."

"You promise you're not sending us away so you can break up on your birthday?"

Placing a hand over her heart, she answered, "I promise." She watched as the sadness and uneasiness practically drained out of her son. Stephanie smiled at him and rubbed his cheek for a moment.

"Everything okay?" Hunter asked as he walked over to them.

"Everything's fine. I was explaining to Jack what was going on with the business trip and why they're staying with their grandparents tonight and all. He thought we were breaking up."

Hunter nodded. He'd refrain from going over the exact same items that Stephanie had. It appeared that Jack had let go of that notion anyway, which meant that she'd explained things well enough for his liking. "We're fine, Jack. Nobody's breaking up with anybody. Sometimes grown-ups have problems with each other. Kind of like how you and your sisters don't always see eye to eye. But you all still love each other and want each other to be happy. Right?"

"Right."

Hunter crouched down to Jack's height. "That's how it is with me and Mommy. We don't always agree, _but _we always love each other. And at the end of it all we want to make each other happy."

At the wide smile that Jackson gave Hunter, Stephanie felt a little more at ease. Her own lips curved upwards as Jack threw his arms around his father's neck. She stood up from the staircase, touching Hunter's back for a moment. "I'm gonna go eat before my food gets cold." With that, she left father and son alone to continue bonding.

Two hours later, Stephanie placed her hand in Hunter's outstretched one as he helped her out of the large, whirlpool tub and directly into a fluffy, warm towel.

Linda had been by a bit less than an hour before, to pick up the kids. As soon as they'd closed the front door properly, her husband had literally thrown her over his shoulder and carted her upstairs. In all honesty, she thought they were heading directly for the bed. That was fine by her, given the flirtation that had been occurring practically all day.

But Hunter had other ideas. For just ten or fifteen minutes, Hunter had disappeared upstairs while she'd chatted with her mom. Apparently during this time he'd been setting up a surprise for her. Yellow, pink and red rose petals were scattered in a trail that led from their bedroom door all the way into the very bathwater that he'd ran for her. The counter was decorated with scented candles. The whole scene was quite beautiful, not to mention she loved the fact that Hunter had a romantic side. He always had, but in the past it was almost like pulling teeth to get him to show it.

Unlike some of her friends' significant others, her guy didn't just randomly point out that he wanted sex and actually expect her to just…handle the problem, so to speak. Nor did he just abruptly roll on top of her in bed and go straight to penetration, with no foreplay whatsoever involved. Instead, he took care to make sure that she wanted to make love just as much as he did. As a lover, he prided himself on making sure that she was satisfied, rather than just getting his own pleasure and then rolling onto his side to sleep.

Honestly, she had no clue how she'd gotten so lucky. When she approached him damn near ten years ago, none of this had been her intention. She simply wanted to get back at her father. Somehow the secret brainstorming sessions turned into something more. Things like grabbing a meal…or talking on the phone for no apparent reason. She wasn't totally in denial; she knew that she had fallen for him. That's exactly why she hadn't given Andrew an answer straight away when he originally proposed. She was waiting on Hunter to…lay all of his cards on the table, so to speak. She gave him three days and he hadn't really made his commitment clear. So she agreed to marry Andrew…if for no other reason than to force the blonde she actually _did _love, to do something about it.

Of course, their communication skills basically sucked until mid-2002. So Hunter hadn't even known for sure that she was in love with him. And then to make matters worse, the amnesia that she suffered made her forget about the time they'd spent together. She'd eventually gone on with her wedding plans, mostly due to pressure from her family, behind the scenes. By mid-November, she remembered everything…including her unclear relationship with Hunter. But he still hadn't done or said anything earth-shattering so she tried to ignore her feelings.

Finally, mercifully, Hunter turned up at her hotel room a couple nights before her wedding date. He began by rambling about the fact that he was literally being driven up the wall by having to watch her with Test. Once he was done, Stephanie had shrugged and told him to "do something about it" and he did. That something just happened to be a declaration of love followed by asking for her hand in marriage. It was kind of reckless, but she'd admitted to loving him back and then happily accepted his proposal.

Having dried off while she reminisced, Stephanie wrapped the towel around her body and secured it. She turned around, only to immediately be pressed up against the nearest wall. She chuckled a little bit at her husband's obvious impatience. To be frank, she was impressed that other than random, sweet kisses and touches he'd actually behaved, somewhat.

"So," he began slowly, linking their hands together and pinning them above Stephanie's head. "What do you want to do now, birthday girl?"

Grinning wickedly, she leaned forward just enough to nip at his bottom lip. "You," she answered simply.

"I can handle that."

"Are you sure? This blonde, tall, sexy, very athletic guy often tells me I'm quite a handful and that I wear him out."

"Well…" Hunter trailed off, dipping his head to kiss her exposed neck. "We've got all night and all day. There's only one way to find out, right?" He asked, somewhat rhetorically.

Stephanie was about to respond, but before she could, Hunter released her arms suddenly. But instead of letting her go entirely, he picked her up and briskly headed for their room. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. "You love that you're strong enough to just toss me around, don't you?" Stephanie asked.

With a grin, he climbed onto the bed, still holding her. "It's pretty damn fun, yeah." He relaxed his hold, allowing her to adjust underneath him.

Stephanie fastened a hand in Hunter's hair, dragging him down until their lips met. Her other hand found itself running along his spine slowly. Feeling her lips part slightly, his tongue slid over hers. Relaxing just a bit more of his body weight on her, he pressed his pelvis against hers while he explored her mouth.

The moan that he wrenched from her vibrated against his lips, encouraging him to continue.

Overtaken by the pleasurable feelings her husband was creating within her, one of Stephanie's hands traveled down his chest and abdomen. Simply to toy with him for a moment, her palm rubbed across the knot he'd made in the towel, while her fingertips were tracing across the skin just above it.

If things were a little bit different, she'd rip the towels off of both of them and pull him inside of her right here and now. But she knew that while she was turned on mentally, it was best to give her body a couple minutes to catch up. During the first few months of their marriage, she'd learned that being too impatient to even fool around for a few minutes resulted in Hunter damn near paralyzing her. At least that's what it would feel like when he would enter her. Like his more than above average length and width were hitting places that just weren't meant to be touched by male parts, ever…hell, back then she thought maybe he'd damaged an organ or torn something inside of her.

But no…as it turned out, the two of them just needed to slow things down a little bit, particularly until after her body got used to accommodating his size on a regular basis. It had taken what seemed like forever before they could join as one without it being at least mildly painful at first. Sex always felt amazing, shortly thereafter, of course.

The comfort issue had definitely improved throughout the course of their marriage. Yet even after three children, that initial contact was still…bothersome. Not painful and not uncomfortable, but she usually needed a second to adjust. Hunter wasn't an ass about it and he never rushed her to just "be ready." He wanted to please her; he couldn't do that if he was hurting her, so he was patient and understanding.

Breaking their kiss, she moved her lips to his earlobe and undid the towel, flinging it across the room in one motion. Hunter lifted his head and she could tell that he was about to make some wiseass comment. Probably about her exposing his precious butt to the cold or something. She'd laugh and he'd use her lack of focus to take control. Not that she didn't love it when he did, but tonight she had a little bit of an agenda.

He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get a word out, Stephanie wrapped her hand around his hardened member and began to stroke him. A pleased groan made its way out and he buried his face into her neck, nipping and licking at her skin, somewhat lazily.

Already feeling triumphant in the extremely hot game that they were playing, Stephanie smirked to herself and wrapped her legs around Hunter's waist tightly. She quickly rolled them over, reversing their positions entirely. There wasn't a whole lot Hunter was able or willing to do about the shift, given that she still had him imprisoned in her hand and had applied just a bit more pressure.

Hunter's hands planted themselves on her thighs and he just enjoyed the feel of her smooth, soft skin. Stephanie planted kisses along his collarbone, neck and jaw, no doubt heading for his lips. He moved a hand to her back and fastened the other in her hair, lightly pulling her to him until they were kissing again. He could feel her body shifting around, but really wasn't paying too much attention to what she could possibly be doing; he was too focused on their embrace.

"Fuck," he groaned out against her lips as he felt her slide down onto his hardness.

While her body remained mostly still, he could feel her lips upturned into what he was sure had to be a devious smile. She broke the kiss and pulled away a little bit, bracing her hands against his chest as she slowly began to lift herself up.

Hunter watched her and was practically mesmerized by how beautiful and erotic the look on her face was. Her eyes were barely open and she was biting down on her lip, clearly already enjoying their encounter. Feeling her begin to slide back down, Hunter put his hands on her hips to help guide her movement. "Oh…God," she sighed lowly, taking more of him in this time.

His assistance steadied her as she continued to move up and down. Before she knew it, she'd established a nice rhythm and was alternating what she was doing to include sometimes just moving her hips in a circular motion. She didn't even seem to notice that she was still wearing a towel and it was covering her upper body.

Hunter…felt like he was going to lose it any second now. The woman was basically milking him. Or she would be, soon if he couldn't slow her down, change their positions or something. Trying to hold her hips a little more firmly certainly wasn't working. If anything, it was encouraging her to go faster. Personally, he just didn't find it to _ever _be acceptable for him to finish before she'd had multiple orgasms. In his book it was practically a crime against their relationship.

Not to mention the fact that Stephanie would be bragging about making him violate his husbandly standard for a week, at the very least. Dragging his hands upwards, he yanked the towel from her body and tossed it somewhere on the floor. Stephanie intertwined their hands and pressed them on either side of his head. She relaxed her upper body on top of his, enjoying the skin to skin contact and the variation on the position.

"Steph…" he started to say, but the other words died out and became a moan instead. His wife silenced the end of it by kissing him hard, darting her tongue into his mouth for a moment before she sat up fully.

Hunter started to sit up, too, but she playfully pushed him back down against the bed. "Stay down," she instructed. "Trust me," she said with a grin.

Curiously, he watched as she stretched her legs out on either side of him. She lifted her right leg first and literally passed it right above his face until it was on the same side as her left leg. She spun around so that her back was facing him and braced her hands behind her, on either side of his torso.

"What…in the…hell," he somewhat stammered, leaning up on one elbow to see her better. "Did-did you just spin like a hundred and eighty degrees with me still in you?"

Instead of answering verbally, Stephanie just started riding him. It wasn't long before he was gripping one of her hips and matching her movements again. If that was any indication, he was rapidly forgetting about his shock and his questions.

Hunter released her for just a moment and reached up, pulling the clip out of her hair. She'd put it up just before their bath, but there was no reason to keep her gorgeous brown locks from cascading down her back, now. His hand traveled down the silky strands before moving its way around to her breasts. He kneaded and squeezed, smiling inwardly at the heavy moans he received in reply. She was close to release; he knew her body too well not to be able to tell. He trailed his fingers down her skin lightly until he reached his destination. He rubbed at her clit and tried not to laugh at her uncontrollable moaning.

"Baby!" She nearly yelled. "Oh…my…" her words died out as her back arched and the climax rippled through her.

Hunter didn't stop; he didn't even slow down at first because he knew that if he kept going, it would damn near quadruple her pleasure.

After he was certain she'd climaxed at least twice more, he pulled out just enough so that he could grab a pillow from the head of the bed. He placed it next to her and more or less readjusted her so that she wasn't sitting on top of him anymore. Instead they were both on their knees.

Hunter kissed her neck and slowly slipped back inside of her. Letting out a moan, Stephanie reached behind her to pull him in for a kiss. Her husband obliged her and their tongues battled for dominance as they quickly worked up a rapid pace.

One of her husband's massive arms was wrapped around her waist, drawing her farther and farther onto him with each thrust. Stephanie planted one hand against the pillow for balance. Fuck, she was close to having another release already. Damn Hunter ruining her plan. But damn it she loved this and loved him even more.

Feeling her body tense up in preparation for another orgasm, she placed her other hand down on the pillow before finally just deciding to lay on the damn thing, while squeezing it for dear life.

"Uh…ah…babe…" she said heatedly.

She was trying to be semi-quiet, he could tell. It was a habit since they now had children. It was bad enough they couldn't keep from throwing sexual innuendo each other's way in the presence of the kids. But at least they could explain those away without having to tell the entire truth. But hearing their mother scream all sorts of obscenities in the middle of the night? Probably not so easy to explain. They'd had the damn walls soundproofed, but they still tried to keep it down as a precaution.

Hunter braced a hand on either side of Stephanie, his chest now against her back. He pressed a kiss to her ear and whispered to her just because it would turn her on even more. "Mmm…cum for me, baby. We're all alone, you can scream as loud as you want."

"Oh…don't…stop! Oh…God. Harder!"

Granting her request – more like a demand – he wrapped an arm around her waist again. Her chorus of moans was music to his ears and practically sounded like a chant at this point. To send her over the edge, he reached down and brushed his thumb over her clit just once.

"OH FUCK, YES" She cried out, her back arching, while her walls tightened around him again. After a couple more thrusts, he couldn't hold back his release anymore, either.

Breathing heavily, he pulled out and collapsed onto the bed beside her, throwing an arm over his forehead. Stephanie shuffled off of the pillow and decided to use him as her cushion instead. Hunter draped an arm over her back and planted a kiss to her forehead as she burrowed into his neck. She sighed in happy, pleasant exhaustion.

"Sooooo" Hunter began. "Was I better than the tall, athletic blonde guy you told me you were doing?"

Stephanie laughed loudly and tilted her head to press a kiss to his stubbly chin. "Forget him. I think I'll keep you instead."

"Yes!" Hunter exclaimed, doing a fist pump just for good measure. They laid in silence for a few minutes. Stephanie was relaxing, listening to his heartbeat and Hunter was comfortable just because she was there, period.

"By the way, Steph?"

"Hmm?" Stephanie muttered with her eyes barely open.

"Happy birthday, baby."

* * *

><p>Hope you guys enjoyed that: it'll be the last smut scene in this fic!<p> 


	38. Control

Yawning, Stephanie made her way out of the bathroom, tying the belt of her silk robe together loosely. She headed down the staircase with a smile on her face.

Throughout the night she'd woken up a few times, with her and Hunter always lying in a different spot than they had been previously. Generally that was due to the fact that she'd wake him up with physical affection. For the most part they left it at kissing for a bit and then succumbing to their fatigue again. But a couple of times it led to them making love. Not the vigorous, somewhat wild kind that they'd shared earlier, but the sweet, slow, lazy kind. Neither of them minded the switch up; in fact they enjoyed the variety.

But this last time, she'd woken up to find her husband missing from their bed. She'd kind of lain around for a few minutes to see if he'd pop up, but he hadn't. Finally, she decided to get off her ass and see where he'd disappeared to. She could smell food, so she was going to guess that he was making breakfast.

"Good morning," she greeted as she walked into the kitchen.

At the stove, Hunter shut off the fire and turned around. "Good morning, beautiful."

Making her way towards him, she felt heat rushing to her cheeks. Seriously, what the hell was wrong with her? Hunter was a downright perfect specimen of a man and always had been. In his wrestling career, he'd certainly taken advantage of the fact that women fell all over themselves over him. Until she came along, at least. Then he'd dropped them all, focused solely on her and that was that. Obviously he'd need to be attracted to her for their marriage to work and to have a healthy love life.

They had nine years and three children together and yet his desire for her hadn't waned at all. Instead, they still behaved like newlyweds as much as possible. And he still looked at her as if she was the hottest woman walking the planet. She wondered if she'd ever cease to be so damn flattered by that.

Noticing the little grin on his face, she concluded: probably not. She placed a hand on his stubbly cheek and leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss him on the lips. "Such the charmer," she said as she pulled away.

Hunter shrugged. "I call 'em like I see 'em," he said simply. "And I'm convinced that the twins should have a very strict schedule, be homeschooled and only allowed out with adult supervision once they're teenagers."

Stephanie raised an eyebrow. "Why's that?"

"They look entirely too much like you. Hell, I can barely let _you _out of the house. Having two more versions of you…running about attracting a bunch of male attention, bitch slapping people and whatnot…I can't take it. I'll age faster and my hair will turn grey and fall out."

Failing to stifle her giggle, she rubbed his bare back for a moment before tugging at his ponytail. "Home school and practically imprisonment for the girls it is. I like your face and your hair too much to put them in jeopardy."

Hunter pressed his lips together, but the corners of his mouth twitched and gave away his amusement. "So you only married me for my looks, huh?"

"Babe," she said, pausing for dramatic effect. "Your ability to help me make tall, pretty babies with gorgeous hair are just three of many reasons why I married you."

Shaking his head in faux disappointment, he began divvying up breakfast. After he'd given Stephanie the usual amount of sausage, eggs, toast and fruit that she'd eat, he held the plate out to her. "You're a shallow woman, Stephanie Marie Helmsley."

"Aw," she gushed, taking the plate from him. With her free hand, she pinched his cheek. "Love you, too."

After breakfast, Stephanie had tried to help Hunter clean up the kitchen. But he was having none of it. He wouldn't let her lift a finger and eventually just banished her to the living room so that she'd stop trying to sneak and do things when he wasn't paying attention. It was her birthday and he wanted her to relax as much as possible. Whatever he could do for her, he absolutely would. In all honesty, celebrating the day that his wife was born was at a close tie in importance to the day that she'd officially chosen him to spend her life with. Maybe her birthday was just a sliver more important, though. There was no way she could've married him and forever changed his world for the better, if she hadn't been born.

When he'd finished up in the kitchen, he entered the living room to find that his suspicions had been correct…Stephanie was generally exhausted. That was evidenced by the fact that she was curled up on the couch, dead to him and the rest of the world. She needed rest. They both did, honestly. But waking up at this time of the morning to eat was their usual routine on weekdays. He had a feeling that after she had some food in her, her body would allow her to doze off again.

Hunter scratched his stomach and yawned quietly as he walked towards the couch. He pulled a thin blanket from the armrest and draped it over her body. Because he just plain couldn't help himself, he leaned down, brushed her hair out of her face and pressed his lips to hers softly.

As he turned to leave her side, Stephanie's hand reached out and grabbed his. "Lay with me," she suggested quietly, without opening her eyes.

"Okay," he said simply.

Stephanie scooted to the edge of the couch to give him room to maneuver his body next to hers. Once he was settled, she scooted closer and laid her head on his chest. She sighed in contentment when one of his hands lifted and his fingertips threaded through her hair.

Hunter watched as the soothing touch lulled her back into unconsciousness. With the weak sunlight sneaking in through the windows, she really did look like an angel. And when they weren't fighting, that's pretty much what she was when she was awake, as well. He loved her to the moon and back.

Which is precisely why he wasn't sure why he hadn't fought her when she'd been kicking him out.

He knew that he hadn't done anything even remotely close to what she had described. He also knew he hadn't even been in the location where she'd supposedly seen him. He had never cheated on her and had never entertained the thought of doing so. Yet he'd…basically given up and allowed her to throw him out, as if he was actually guilty and ashamed of something he'd done.

If anything, he was ashamed that his brain stopped working during that particular conversation. He had no idea what else to say to her so he had just agreed to her demand…and left. When really he should have stayed and argued with her to hell and back if that's what it took to convince her of his innocence. During the course of their marriage he'd certainly argued with her over less consequential shit. But _that _fight literally could have spelled the end of their relationship, if Stephanie hadn't eventually come to her senses.

What would have happened if she hadn't, though? Would he have eventually had the guts to confront her? To put his foot down and say that he was coming back home whether she believed he hadn't cheated, or not? He just didn't know and it was terrifying.

His mind was racing with the possible scenarios and outcomes, until he finally joined her in sleep.

* * *

><p>"Are we going to a water park or something?" Stephanie asked excitedly when Hunter tossed two large towels into a duffel bag.<p>

Hunter crossed the room and flicked his index finger down the dent in her chin. "You'll see when we get there."

"Hunter, come on!" She exclaimed. "I can't dress properly if I don't know where we're going."

"Nice try, Steph," he said with a chuckle. "Keep in mind that there's a variety of places where a swimsuit is appropriate attire. So put yours on, cover it up with some dress or something…and put the things you need from your purse in the duffel."

Stephanie grumbled a little bit. Not because she was genuinely frustrated, but because she was being playfully bratty. She pulled her purse from the closet and carried it to the bed. With a shrug, she turned her purse upside down, allowing the contents to fall out. She figured that it would be easier to handpick what was a necessity and what wasn't, if everything was all spread out. Often, when she left the house, she was gone for a minimum of eight hours. That meant she needed to be prepared for a variety of things. She very seriously doubted that she and Hunter would be out that long, prancing around half-naked.

Hunter shook his head. Impatient was seriously an understatement for his wife. She couldn't even be bothered to rummage through her purse for what she wanted to take. Instead, she had made a pile of God knows what on their bed, with a good few items falling off and to the floor, anyway. While Stephanie separated what she did and didn't want, Hunter walked over and plucked up the items from the floor.

"These fell off the bed," he explained, when she looked down at him with a curious gaze. He came across a circular container. It wasn't much bigger than the majority of Steph's compact mirrors. But it was the design of the object that caught his attention. She'd had a photograph of their family of five, digitized and shrunken so that it became a case for whatever the hell this was.

A little smile tugged at the corners of his lips at the fact that she'd gone through the trouble to have this done. Just a little memento of what they'd made together. He stood up fully and was about to hand the box over to her. But his thumb accidentally pressed the release button, making the container pop open and reveal what was inside.

The smile disappeared from his lips, becoming a tight line instead. "Why is this in your purse, Steph?"

Stephanie's brow furrowed in confusion before she turned around. "What-" she began and died off when she saw what he was holding. Her blue eyes widened and she spread her hands in front of her, silently beckoning for peace. "I can explain," she said in her defense.

He eyeballed the layout of what he was seeing, realizing that she had apparently kept up with this shit. He raised his eyebrows meaningfully. "Explain? I'm not sure there's a good explanation for why the fuck you've been taking birth control pills even though we talked about this weeks ago and you saidyou'd stop!"

"I _did _stop!"

"Like hell you did, Stephanie. Every pill is gone except for the one you were probably gonna take today."

"I…I backtracked." That was the God's honest truth. When they'd discussed baby number four, she'd had every intention of not taking another pill until after the planned child was born. She hadn't taken her pill for that day. Though she kind of wanted to, she'd also avoided taking a pill during the couple of days that they'd spent fighting. It was only after their heartfelt conversation in the gym that she'd made the decision to begin the pills again and catch up with the ones that she missed.

"Backtracked? You know what, Steph? I'm sick of you acting like only you know what's best for us. I have half a say in what happens in this family and you need to get that through your thick ass head! You don't just-"

"_I _have a thick ass head? Hunter, you're just as stubborn as I am. And out of the two of us, at least I can put my shit aside and think like a rational human being. I don't just go cursing you out for no good reason or doing stupid shit just to piss you off and start a fight. I guess I should congratulate you on your ability to create drama out of absolutely nothing like you have been ever since you came back home."

Hunter stared at her heatedly for a moment. Expelling a tense breath, he clenched the birth control tighter in his hand before hurling it across the room. "Fuck you."

Stephanie brought a hand to her forehead and rubbed gingerly, screwing her eyes shut. "I'm sor-"

"Save it," he interjected, holding a hand up to cut off her sentence. "_You _decided to believe I was cheating on you. _You _decided to kick me out of _our _house. _You _basically decided to take me away from our children-"

Stephanie opened her mouth, prepared to interject. "I didn't mean-"

"_Your _stupid fucking actions have raised hell for our entire family. I've had issues opening up to you in the past, Steph. But I'd gotten so much better. With you, I'd gotten better. And then you go and use all of that past shit against me in a completely idiotic fight…and now you have the nerve to say that _I've _been creating drama ever since I've been back home?"

"Hunter," Stephanie sighed, attempting to bring her hands to his shoulders.

Hunter moved his arms up to push her away from him. "Maybe I shouldn't be here," he concluded.

Stephanie watched him hastily gather his thing and couldn't help the tears that fell from her eyes.

Fucking hell, she couldn't take this shit again. And on her birthday, no less. If he'd just let her explain herself, he wouldn't be so pissed off with her. With her bad judgment she'd certainly made things worse…but he'd basically started it by accusing her of being some kind of unwavering tyrant. That wasn't true and he fucking knew it. He was just pissed at her and it was skewing his perception.

Hunter stomped towards the bedroom door and Stephanie jumped up and ran over to him. She grabbed his arm, somewhat desperately. "Hunter, please. Please," she pleaded with him. "Don't go," she said simply. "Just stay. Stay and talk this out with me. Please?" He remained still for a few moments, giving her hope that maybe she'd finally gotten through to him.

Hunter sighed and tried to ignore Stephanie's obvious difficulty with keeping a lid on whatever the hell emotions she was feeling. He just…couldn't deal with her right now. She'd misled him on something that was huge. Given how long it had taken him to get her to agree to try for another child, the problem was blaringly obvious. For whatever reason, Stephanie just didn't want another baby with him. Had she decided that his family was too fucked up? That she didn't want to chance that their next child would turn out like him or his brother? She said that she'd initially stopped the pills. So obviously something made her change her mind.

Whatever it was, her decision not to have another baby…well, he'd be damned if it didn't sting. He still loved her. And despite everything, he felt that she loved him. And maybe they'd get past this soon. But right now he was just too hurt to try. And felt that she was too much in the wrong for him to let her know how she'd wounded him.

He wrenched his arm away from her and walked away without another word to her. As he made his way down the stairs and out of the house, he conveniently pretended that he didn't hear her breaking down.

* * *

><p>I totally intended to hold on to this for a few more days, to give people a chance to review the prior chapter. But what the hell...Hunter joining twitter and returning to my television screen made me all giddy and excited! LOL. I do (sorta) apologize that the misery at the end of this chapter doesn't convey my total happiness about recent Hunter-happenings...but it was already written this way hahaha<p>

You can thank Kristen for Hunter's concern over the twins bitch slapping people. Lol .Any guesses as to what Steph will do with her day off, alone or where Hunter will wander off to? :-D

Also check out my profile if you haven't, recently.


	39. Reflections

Picking up a foam roller from the floor of his gym, Howard hit himself in the head with it a few times for dramatic effect. "GOD!" He groaned loudly. "You said you wanted to hang so you could clear your head about the wife. Yet she's all you've talked about the entire time you've been here."

Hunter scrubbed his hands over his face. "Fuck," he mumbled under his breath. Howard was completely right. Every time they were talking about something else, somehow he ended up bringing Stephanie's name into the picture. Mentioning whether or not she liked or disliked whatever it was. Recalling, out loud, a memory that they had and things of that sort. And why wouldn't it be that way? She was a part of him. She'd given him the one thing he had always longed for, that had previously always evaded his grasp: a real family.

The families that the system had assigned didn't count, for obvious reasons. Except for the Reece's. He thought he'd finally found what he needed from people who were supposed to love and care for him. And then they tragically lost their lives and his world was darkened yet again.

Patrick and Abby? Well, he didn't know what to think of his birth parents. As much as he wanted to hate them, he couldn't. Though they'd done a shitty job of it, they'd been…parents. They'd taken care of him, to a certain extent. He'd been hungry a lot but hadn't starved to death. He'd been homeless, yet somehow always had some sort of shelter from the elements, no matter how run down that shelter was. He hadn't been schooled, yet he'd learned, anyway. A part of this was by his own doing; he'd pickpocketed to "help" with room and board…but he hadn't taught himself how to do that.

No, Patrick and Abby had instilled survival tactics into his psyche. To do things for himself; to do what was necessary. And God help him, that was exactly why he'd eventually unleashed that part of himself onto the wrestling world. Sledgehammers, cars, chairs – whatever it took to be successful, he had been willing to do it.

The only thing he _wasn't _willing to do was let Stephanie get away from him entirely. Especially when she hadn't done anything wrong and was the key to him having what he'd always dreamt of but never thought he could have.

Maybe that was why her decision to resume taking birth control without talking to him about it, hurt so much. It felt like she'd stolen his dream away from him, a bit. Granted, they already had three children together. But having four had been when they'd decided on. It was the dream that they'd constructed together and she just up and decided to take away the chance of it becoming a reality without bothering to have a discussion with him.

Howard looked at Hunter, with his eyebrows raised. "Dude," he said simply.

Shaking his head for a moment, Hunter replied, "Yeah?"

"This is just plain miserable. If you're thinking about her this much, you might as well go be with her."

Hunter twisted his lip in consideration. "I'm not ready to be around her."

"For God's sake!" Howard threw his arms up into the air. "See…_this_, is what women do. They get inside your head and tinker with shit. They're all smiling and sexy and what the hell ever so we men don't realize that they're up to shit. You know?"

"I-uhhh. No," Hunter admitted with a puzzled frown.

"Okay, like…" Howard trailed off, poking his tongue out of the side of his mouth in brief concentration. "They know what you want. Right?"

"Right."

Howard nodded. "Right. So what they do is make it appear like you're getting it. But you're not. Then you're all frustrated and disappointed and other unmanly shit, get me?"

Hunter rubbed the back of his neck tensely. "Um, I think so. Yeah. Being disappointed isn't unmanly. It's human."

Howard slapped Hunter on the shoulder. "No!" He disagreed. "It's unmanly because we're supposed to run shit. We're supposed to get what we want, when we want it. If we're disappointed it means that we didn't exercise our natural right to run shit."

Well, that didn't quite sound like a very good deal for the women. Wouldn't being in love with someone mean that the guy should actually care about what she wanted and needed? That's how he felt about his wife, anyway. Okay, he'd been a jackass for a few days and had been a little testy when it came to putting his foot down about things. Petty things - but things, nonetheless. But that wasn't his usual behavior. It was a response to feeling like everything that mattered to him was totally out of his control while he and Stephanie had been separated. He'd gotten past that, for the most part.

Until today, when he found out Stephanie had rescinded on their joint decision.

But still. He was going back to her at some point. And he wanted her to be happy and to have what she desired, within reason.

And hell. All of his friends that had special women in their lives wanted those women to be happy.

So, he'd ask Howard what chick in high school fucked him over, on a day that wasn't today. There had to be a story behind why he acted and thought as he did.

Together, the twin brothers walked over to the punching bags. Hunter held one in place and Howard started whaling away at it. He was certainly strong, but Hunter was a bit stronger. They were basically the same size from the look of things. But Hunter's workout routine was about building strength and improving function these days. Howard's was certainly building bulk, but maybe not doing quite as much for strength. It was like…muscles for show, in his opinion.

"What were our birth parents like?" Howard asked before sending the bag a powerful right hook.

Hunter was so stunned by the question that he loosened up his stance and his grip on the bag. The next punch his brother threw inadvertently landed against his arm. Hunter winced and stepped back from the bag, rubbing at the sore spot.

"You all right?"

"Physically, yeah. Mentally I'm all screwed up, now. Why are you asking about them?"

Ever since they'd known of each other, Howard made it clear that he didn't give a shit about…well, _most _things in the world. At the top of that list was their biological parents. Hunter wasn't keen on talking about them anyway. And when some residual demon from his past presented itself in the present, he only discussed his parents with Stephanie.

And there he went, thinking of her again. It was impossible to try not to think of her. She had always been there for him, offering a sympathetic ear while encouraging him to open up to her. There was hardly a single damn aspect of his life that she wasn't involved in, in one way or another. That was well and good when they were happy and relatively problem free.

But when they were in a fight? It was simply fucking annoying.

Howard's answer was a casual shrug. "Just wondering. I don't know, really." His demeanor said that the answers didn't matter. On the inside, he felt quite the opposite. Previously, his birth parents were just abstract figures that had contributed to his genetic makeup. He didn't speculate about them; he'd reached a bitterness that he was so comfortable with that he didn't even realize it was there.

Now that he found the twin he didn't know he had, he wondered. He wondered what had compelled a mother and a father to give up a set of baby boys. During one of his talks with Hunter, he'd come to realize that that wasn't what happened at all. No, instead their parents had chosen to keep Hunter. Meanwhile Howard was just given to the first desperate family that came strolling along.

Granted, Howard had ended up with a pretty decent family, while Hunter ended up in the system. Yet his twin had more shit going for him than he did. He didn't want to pry into specifics, but after he'd done some research he realized his brother was almost certainly a millionaire, many times over. He'd married a fucking downright sexy _heiress _to a billion dollar corporation. Hell, in his heyday, Hunter – or Triple H as he was called – was a celebrity. Only fans from his primary era would recognize him on the street, now. But still.

Statistically speaking, Howard should have been the more successful twin. Or they should have at least had very similar life outcomes since they were identical twins. That's what research and a shitload of documentaries suggested. Yet their lives were polar opposites.

Had their parents seen something special in Hunter from the day that they were born? Had they just _known _that he'd grow up to be somebody? Is that why they'd kept him, but thrown Howard away? Did they just have a gut feeling that he would turn out to be rather mediocre?

"Patrick and Abby – Abigail. Those were their names. I made myself forget details because I didn't want to remember them," Hunter admitted, blowing out a heavy breath. "Patrick had brown hair. Maybe light brown. Dark eyes – especially when he was angry at something. He only smiled at me when I pulled in a good wad of cash from pickpocketing. Otherwise he was beating me for not pulling in enough to help get a motel room."

Howard's hazel eyes were wider than they had been when Hunter began his recollection of their parents. "Shit, man…that sucks. Our father sounds like a complete dick."

"He was," Hunter said simply.

"Do you remember anything about our mother?

"Abby was blonde. I know for sure her eyes were green because they were super creepy. Like an evil cat. Patrick? He was just an angry, miserable guy. Just pissed at the whole damn world more often than not. But Abby? She hated me. Hated that I existed and it showed every time she turned those eyes on me. She was an addict – they both were. Powdered coke and whatever the hell liquor they could afford that day. Honestly, I didn't have much to do with her. It was mostly our father that dealt with me."

Howard nodded his head in understanding. He was kind of sorry that he'd asked about their parents – they sounded like fucking bastards. But it still didn't answer his fundamental, underlying question of _why _they'd taken Hunter and left him behind. Wouldn't having two little thieves have been more effective? Hell, maybe it was an arbitrary decision, if they'd been coked out and drunk when they'd left him. Whatever. He was done thinking about it for now.

"What about your adopted parents?" Hunter asked, leaning against the punching bag.

Howard cleared his throat for a moment, not sure of how much he should share here. He made it a point to just move forward and not reflect on shit. That had always been his motto and up until recently he'd been perfectly happy with it. But his tie to Hunter was literally a tie to his past and it made him do more thinking than usual. "Marcus and Theresa Danley," he said wistfully. "Long story short? Marcus was a financier, Theresa was a housewife. They adopted me and were happy and shit for a few years. When I was still a kid – maybe nine or ten – it comes out that Theresa's having an affair with some guy who was involved in the remodeling of our house. Marcus dropped her ass and I can't say I blame him. But other than the child support that he had no choice but to pay, he basically dropped me, too. Couldn't stand the sight of Mom with what he deemed a "lesser man" especially since she was somehow actually happy with him and the downgraded lifestyle he brought with him. The new guy, Troy, was a devout Christian. Or so he said. I think home wrecking isn't approved of but what the hell do I know?"

Hunter laughed, "Yeah, pretty sure that kind of thing is forbidden."

"Yeah probably on those ah, stone slab tablet things that Noah had on top of the mountain. With the lightning, talking shrubbery on fire and all that."

"I think Noah was more like Dr. Dolittle. You know, with the boat and the animals."

"What about the stone tablets and the mountain?"

Hunter shrugged. "Different guy. I have no idea but I think pictures shows the rule book thing that way but who knows."

"Lightning and magic shrubbery?"

"Lightning, not sure. Burning bush, yes."

Howard nodded at the clarification and sighed a little before continuing. "So he got Mom into the whole thing, too. They made me go to church but they couldn't brainwash me. Not all the way. They thought of me as very…cerebral. That's the word they'd used. Really pushed for me to be a doctor, lawyer or some other super professional shit. To me, it just really seemed like they wanted that more for their own benefit than mine. Like they wanted to ride my coattails of success It felt like my Mom, especially wanted me to be rich so that she could regain the lifestyle she'd given up with Marcus."

With a little smirk, Howard shrugged. "So when I graduated high school, I moved out, tried to make shit work on my own." He gestured all around the moderately populated gym. "I've done pretty well for myself, huh?"

"Absolutely," Hunter said enthusiastically.

_But not as well as you_, he sneered in thought, even while they slapped hands in a high five.

* * *

><p>Stephanie sighed right as Hunter's voice came across the line, inviting her to leave a message. She ended the call and threw the phone onto the couch. She sniffled, dragging a hand through her hair. It was nearing nine at night. Hunter had stormed off a bit before three. Six hours and not one single, solitary word from her husband. Of course, after she'd pulled herself together a little bit, she'd immediately called him and tried to apologize. Tried to tell him her side of the story. But the interrupted ring told her that he was ignoring her calls by sending her directly to voicemail. She'd left a message…or three, in the following hours. Burst into fits of tears once…or too many damn times to count.<p>

At least if she was working today, she'd have had an excuse to force herself to bury her emotions. Or if the kids were here she'd have a good reason to stop allowing herself to fall apart at random intervals. But she hadn't had either. So she'd been wallowing about in her misery on a day that her husband had promised to spoil and pamper her to celebrate the fact that she'd entered the world. What a laugh that was, by mid-afternoon.

Marital crisis loomed over their relationship yet again.

She was too distraught to do anything productive, yet again.

But most importantly? Hunter had walked out on her, yet again.

The asshole wouldn't even confirm that he was okay. He couldn't even give her that tiny sliver. Well, fuck him. She didn't deserve this. Not after everything they'd been through. Not on her birthday. And especially not simply because he was too damn hardheaded and selfish to consider her perspective or even let her _voice _her perspective on why she'd done what she had.

"Another baby with him now," she said aloud as she ascended the staircase. "Hah! He's lost his mind. Not even a month after agreeing to try and he's abandoning me."

Hours ago, Stephanie had called her Mom and asked if she was up for keeping the kids tonight. The original plan was for Stephanie and Hunter to grab them sometime after dinner. That plan was fucked to hell; she had no idea where Hunter was, nor did she feel she was in the best emotional state to take care of three small children alone. Especially not when one of the three was already being too affected by his parents' relationship drama. The kids would be sleeping by now, which was good for her. She could see their little faces, then head to bed with her heart feeling a little less despondent than it currently did.

She walked down the hallway to their master bedroom and immediately went for her suitcase.

The jerk hadn't packed anything. _If _he came back tonight, she most certainly would not be here.

* * *

><p>Thanks for the great (and speedy, lol) reviews on that last chapter! I know this is sorta a horrible present in return hahaha. But this is going someplace goodcute, I promise! My current plan is to end this at Chapter 50. Cross your fingers and leave your thoughts :-D


	40. Dig

Hunter scrunched his face up, cringing as Shawn's loud voice came through his truck's speakers. "YOU DID WHAT?"

"I don't know, man. Seemed better all-around if I just left. Stop myself from saying shit I'll likely regret later. You know?"

On the other end of the country, Shawn shook his head and groaned, leaning back into the couch cushions. "What I _know _is that you walked out on your wife – a wife you had to fight to get back a few years ago – on her birthday. Her birthday, for Christ's sake! You're telling me you're not gonna regret that?"

Hunter blinked for a few moments and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "I-uh…shit," he sighed.

"You didn't even consider the fact that it's her birthday, did you?" He asked, though he already knew the answer. While he'd made amazing improvements, Hunter still had a temper. Stephanie did, as well. But between the two of them, she was more likely to think things through before acting. Hunter, on the other hand? Not so much.

"Hell," was Hunter's telling response. "I wasn't thinking, Shawn. I really wasn't. I was just so…pissed and…messed up over the thing with the pills that nothing crossed my mind except getting far away from her."

"Hunter, that's just stupid. You love Stephanie. I know damn well you do or you wouldn't have made so many changes to make your marriage work. So she wants to prolong another pregnancy, big deal. It's not like Jack and the twins don't keep you guys busy enough as it is. What's the rush?"

"That's not the point, man. It's the principle! We agreed and she decided to go behind my back and break the agreement. I mean…why _wouldn't _she want another baby now? I mean, isn't that what most women do? Sit around and just dream about marriage, babies, houses with picket fences and crap?"

Because he couldn't hold it in, Shawn laughed at Hunter's rant. As entertaining as it was, it did provide him with some insight. Over the last few years, Hunter had clued him in on bits and pieces of his troubled past. Never the whole story, but enough to get his point across. The bottom line: Hunter had been made to feel like a reject. His biological parents didn't seem to give a shit that he ran away, despite being a source of income for them. Except for the Reece's, his foster parents had all been crappy and/or abusive in one way or another. And to top it off, the foster kid who'd been homeless for several years, attended high school in one of the richest cities in the country.

Yes, it had been instilled upon him to feel rejected. He'd done amazingly well in life and love despite all of that. Finally realized that family was more important than wrestling. Finally realized that Stephanie _was _in fact his family, even before the kids came along.

Steph had nothing but good intentions towards Hunter. Shawn knew that, as did the rest of their usual group. But she was a woman. And as a woman she just wouldn't automatically know that her actions would be perceived by her husband as a rejection of him as a whole.

"Well," Shawn began carefully. "Stephanie probably isn't 'most women' but she did get the marriage, babies and whatever out of you."

Hunter laughed a little bit. "I guess she did," he admitted.

"She loves you and thinks the world of you, dumbass. I'm sure she has a damn good reason for what she did. You need to go talk to her. Immediately. Like, before it hits midnight and you've officially ruined her entire birthday."

The best friends made their pleasantries before disconnecting the call. Hunter glanced at the dashboard, seeing that it was a bit after nine. God, where had the time gone? Hell, he'd ask where the _day _had gone if he didn't already know that he'd spent it goofing off with Howard.

There were so many things that he had planned for Stephanie today. He'd paid a well-known, private, massage therapy center to come out and provide the service for her at the beach. Combining two of her favorite recreational activities was bound to make her feel special. He figured they'd relax on the sand and in the water for an hour or so before heading home for a shower and then off to dinner. He'd made reservations at the beachfront, Italian spot that he'd taken her to on their "first date" six years ago, Sicily's. He'd hoped that the déjà vu would do some good, being that they'd first gone there when their marriage was recovering from major turmoil. It was a signal of their true fresh start and commitment to getting to know each other all over again.

While waiting on dessert, he was going to give her a gift he knew that she'd love. The kids had been undecided on what they wanted to get her. The twins wanted it to be something that was pretty and shiny and Jackson wanted something that his Mom could remember him by when they weren't together.

Hunter was relatively stumped at first until he realized he could find a way to combine the ideas and make it something unique. Granted, the tribute was possibly more fitting as a Mother's Day gift, but all three kids wanted her to have it now. They also wanted their father in the picture because – in Jackson's words – Hunter "Loves Mommy, too!"

The family had chosen a diamond cut, Singapore chain, 14 karat white gold necklace. The locket hanging from the chain was heart shaped and had "We love you, Stephanie," written on the front in cursive script. On the inside was a family picture, sans Stephanie.

Karmina and Kaycee were each perched on one of his shoulders. Hunter's hands rested on Jackson's shoulders, as the little boy stood directly in front of him. Each child wore a huge, genuine smile and a t-shirt that said, "Happy birthday, Mommy," in big, bold letters. Hunter's t-shirt said, "Happy birthday, baby," in the same lettering.

For whatever reason, the kids insisted that he be the one to give her the present, when they weren't around. At first he thought they were just being shy because this was basically their idea. But then he wondered if it was some attempt for the kids to bring them closer together. It was going to work out perfectly, simply because the parents were on the mend right now anyway.

The day was bound to be wonderful and relaxing. Until he'd found the damned pills; everything went to shit shortly thereafter. Now that all of his carefully laid plans couldn't be salvaged, he really had nothing left to give her.

Except for an apology, the couple of hours they had before midnight, and her necklace. Maybe telling her about the other stuff he'd arranged would soften her heart towards him. She'd be fucking pissed and rightfully so. He still wasn't 'good' with what she'd done, but he had calmed down enough to realize that he shouldn't have just walked out on her. Especially not today. At the very least, he should have given her a chance to say her piece. Instead he had shut down and bailed.

He'd be lucky if she even _looked _at him tonight.

Pressing the button for the garage, he rounded the corner and prepared to pull in. His forehead crinkled in bewilderment at the fact that Stephanie's truck was missing. That was pretty strange, given how late it was and the fact that the kids were probably upstairs sleeping.

Pondering over all of the reasonable explanations for his wife's missing vehicle, he ascended the staircase and went down the hallway. He poked his head inside of the twins' room and then Jackson's – each of which looked exactly as it had when Linda picked them up on the previous night. He continued down the hall to the master bedroom and immediately noticed that something was off.

Hunter walked briskly, appraising the slightly ajar closet door. Stephanie's suitcase was missing. It was the smallest one that she owned – it only had enough space for perhaps three days' worth of clothes. But that wasn't the point. The point was his children weren't back and his wife had packed up and left.

Too panicked speculate any further, Hunter pulled out his cell phone and dialed his wife.

"Where are you?" He asked as soon as she accepted the call.

"I could ask you the same question," she replied dryly.

"I'm standing in our empty bedroom in our empty house. _Why _is it empty?" He asked pointedly.

Stephanie sat up straighter in her old bed, hugging her knees to her chest. "I was too all over the place, emotionally, to deal with the kids by myself. I asked my Mom to keep them another night."

Blowing out a heavy breath, Hunter closed his eyes and ran his hand over his hair. He felt like shit, even before he made the call to her. Now he just felt even shittier. He gripped his car keys tighter in his hand and walked out of the room, heading for the staircase again. "Are you out letting off steam or something? I want to talk, Steph. Wherever you are, I'll come to you."

Stephanie sniffled and dragged a hand over her eyes using the sleeve of the oversized sweatshirt she was wearing. She shifted on the bed uncomfortably. To be quite honest, she felt like what she was about to say was going to cause more issues. For her, for her children and most certainly for her marriage. But on the other hand, she was out of alternative responses, so she'd just go with the one that was currently in her head. "No. I'm resting at my parents' house. And the thing is…" she began and hesitated, biting down on her lip.

Hunter remained silent while he anxiously waited for her to voice her thoughts.

"Hunter, I'm…well…I don't think I want you to come."

Oh no. No, no, no. To hell with that. He wasn't about to let her shut him out like this. They needed to talk and that's exactly what they were going to do. He'd seen her punch in the code for the gate to the McMahon estate a hundred times, at least. He knew the sequence, but out of respect he didn't just let himself in without prior authorization.

Hunter climbed back into the driver's seat of his truck. As he started the engine, he spoke, to somewhat mask the sound. "Stephanie, I should have just heard you out earlier. But I didn't and I'm sorry. Please talk this out with me."

"Funny," she commented with a resentful chuckle. "That's exactly what I said when I literally begged you not to go this afternoon. And did you listen? Of course not," she answered. "You just…just _take off _to…to God knows where. You don't answer or return any of my calls. You don't even let me know if you made it to…wherever!" She ranted. "You disappear on me for like seven hours and now you expect me to swoon because you want to – to what, exactly? What is there to talk about? You made it clear you're not interested in what I have to say about the pills. You made it clear you don't give a damn what day it is – if you're mad, you'll just take off. So what is it that you want to talk about?"

"I want to apologize in person. And to give you one of your presents."

"I want to go to sleep and forget that today ever happened. The shit you're talking about can wait."

_Ouch, _Hunter thought as he turned on to the freeway. "I hurt you, you hurt me. Is that the way of it?"

"You tell me. I'm just following _your _lead," she commented with much attitude.

And another dig from her. She was not so subtly referencing his touchiness with wanting to take charge more. That was fine, though. He'd screwed up royally and he knew that he'd really hurt her feelings.

Granted, her deception had hurt his feelings and a bit of his pride, as well. But he was the one who decided to storm off without listening to her reasoning. For all he knew, her doctor may have recommended the damn things. It was wrong to just explode and ditch her on her birthday. He owned up to that and would do whatever it took to make it up to her.

If they were to come to terms, she needed to get why he was so upset over the pills. So, a heart to heart conversation was in order. And the sooner they had it, the better. He'd be damned if he'd be explaining to Jack that they had in fact separated on her birthday, as he suspected they were going to do.

"I know I'm not the best at communicating sometimes and that I can be a hothead. I know that _you _know that better than anyone. That's why I'm asking you to consider those things, along with my feelings for you. It's your day, so I'll give you what you want. I'll give you your space but don't expect it to last for long; I'm impatient."

Stephanie drew her bottom lip in to stifle the smile that instinctively wanted to form. He'd really disappointed and hurt her today. She supposed he was _slightly _less in the doghouse for at least trying to get back home and give her one of her presents before her birthday was officially over. But only slightly. Either way, he was just adorable, funny and sweet when he wasn't making her want to cry, tear her hair out, or both.

"Okay," she said simply. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

This call needed to end. She wanted it to. But she wasn't sure how to do that without it being horribly awkward. "I love you," was her usual sendoff. And though _he _knew that she loved him, she still didn't want to give him the satisfaction of hearing her say it right now. "Okay. Well, talk to you later, I guess."

_You have no idea how soon 'later' is going to be, _he thought."You will," Hunter said decisively before clicking off and concentrating on the drive over to see her.

Pushing herself up from the bed, Stephanie padded into the hallway barefoot. It was kind of ridiculous that her parents' house had seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms and a host of other random rooms. She could easily get lost in this place, which was craziness considering the fact that she used to live here. Without getting confused along the way, she knew the way to her old bedroom, the kitchen, living room, home office and that was about it since she rarely went anywhere else in the humongous mansion.

If this was her house, she probably would've stuck all three kids in the same room just for simplicity's sake. Or at the very least, the twins would've shared a room like they did at home. But her mother would have none of it – every child got their own room. And Stephanie rolled her eyes at the notification, although that was always her mother's decision when her grandkids were staying over.

She happened upon Karmina's room first, spotting her eldest daughter curled up on the left side of the bed. Stephanie dropped a kiss into her hair before smoothing it out of her face and exiting the room. Next, she came to Kaycee's room. That twin was curled up on the right side of the bed. Stephanie shook her head at the fact that each of them migrated to the side of the bed that they slept on at home. She gave Kaycee the same affection she'd given her sister.

Back in the hallway, she came upon another closed door a few yards later. She opened it and found Jackson in the middle of the bed, sprawled out somewhat like how a chalk outline of a body at a crime scene would be. Stephanie walked over, content to just look at her firstborn for a minute. "We'll be okay one day, son. I promise you," she vowed to his sleeping form. With a heavy sigh, she pressed a kiss to his cheek before turning and walking out of the room.

* * *

><p>*feels somewhat less evil, despite Kristen's bad influence*<p> 


	41. Be Careful

_Ping_!

Stephanie's body jerked once before her eyes snapped open. For a moment she was confused on her whereabouts, since she'd gotten used to she and Hunter's master bedroom layout and colors, long ago. She sat up in bed and yawned, stretching her arms above her head.

She rubbed at her neck tiredly and picked up her cell phone to eye the time. It was just after ten. She'd been asleep for thirty minutes, maximum. She wasn't a particularly restless sleeper usually…so what gave?

_Tap!_

Her eyes widened fractionally at the sound just outside of her bedroom window. What in the hell was that? Pipes didn't run alongside this part of the mansion. And very few people had access to the property anyway. Her parents lived on Conyers farm – a gated community in Greenwich, staffed by round-the-clock security. Access to the actual estate required going through an additional private gate.

It was _highly _unlikely for anyone to get past the first wave of security. Thus far, it had never happened. And with the miles of riding trails, private roads, woods and lakes, one would easily get lost trying to find the McMahon estate unless they knew exactly where they were going. Even if someone _could _find the house, they couldn't get in without the security code. And everyone who knew the damn code was under this roof, with the exception of Shane.

And Shane would call her first. He wouldn't toss shit at her window. Right?

_Pluck, tink!_

Throwing the covers off, Stephanie swung her legs until her feet were planted on the floor. She stood up and slowly walked towards the window that the sounds were coming from. Maybe it was just a bird…doing…something to the damn window. Or maybe it was a moth or some other flying bug, ramming itself into the window. Either of those would be nice.

But…what if it was something…paranormal? Like a ghost or the boogeyman or some shit? She didn't believe in that kind of thing. But she wasn't an unbeliever, either, necessarily. God, this was like something out of a fucking horror movie. Or maybe she'd just seen one too many horror movies.

_Thump, plunk, click!_

Whatever it was, it was impatient, obviously. And beginning to annoy her more than it was scaring her. Stephanie reached the window and peeked through the curtains, carefully. If something was out there, she didn't want to be so horribly visible and make herself an easy target. But there was absolutely nothing outside that she could see.

Pressing her lips together for a moment, she considered her next move. She could go the hell back to bed and hope that the weirdness stopped. Or she could investigate a little further.

Stephanie pushed the double windows open and stuck her head out. She quickly retreated and moved to the side upon seeing some small projectiles come flying her way. She glanced down at the items, quickly recognizing them as pebbles from the backyard.

"Sorry," a voice whispered to her, apologetically.

She poked her head outside again and finally noticed the blonde-haired figure on the lawn. She squinted in disbelief and asked, "Hunter?"

Even from upstairs, she saw the quick flash of his white teeth when he smiled at her. "Hi," he said simply.

Stephanie shook her head and felt thoroughly confused. The last time she checked, he was supposed to be giving her some space. It wasn't determined just how much she would get, but this was too soon. She hadn't exactly been warm with him on the phone, so she didn't understand what compelled him to come to her parents' house at such a late hour. "What…what in God's name are you doing here? How did you even get past security?"

Hunter shrugged. "Wasn't that hard since I'm here often, you know. And I came here for you."

Stephanie tightened her jaw and wagged her index finger at him accusatorily. "You said you'd give me space, Hunter!"

"I also said don't expect it to last for long. I gave you…" he trailed off and glanced down at his watch. "About an hour."

"That's not fair," she interjected quickly.

Another shrug…and a little smirk that he didn't quite manage to hide. "I'm sorry for that, too. But the way I see it you've got two options."

"This should be good," Stephanie muttered to herself, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the windowpane.

"The first is that you can let me in and we can-"

"Next," she interrupted quickly. Maybe it was childish but she somewhat enjoyed being able to decide how close or far he was right now. It almost felt like payback, given the way he'd shut her out earlier. If she made things too easy, he wouldn't learn shit from it.

Hunter's feathers weren't ruffled in the slightest. And he wasn't the least bit deterred by her quick rejection of his first idea. The fact that she was even engaging in this conversation with him at all was enough. It was a sign that she wasn't totally emotionally inaccessible tonight. "The second is that you come down here and we'll talk."

Even from downstairs, Hunter could see her raise both of her eyebrows…in that way she tended to do them when some smart remark was about to come out of her mouth. "Option three: I close the window, take my ass back to sleep and you go away."

"But I won't go away. I'll throw pebbles at your window until you cave."

"I'm more likely to call the cops rather than cave."

"Oh, come off it, Steph," he said with a slight chuckle. "As upset with me as you are, you wouldn't do that to me. Especially not with the kids so close by."

Damn him. Must he call her bluff? Okay, no, she wouldn't have the heart to call the authorities on him for just trying to talk to her. But…she could dream that she had that kind of resolve. Twisting her lip in concentration, she finally gave him a reluctant nod. "I'll be down in a minute."

"I'll be waiting out by the pool."

* * *

><p>Stephanie drew her hair back into a messy ponytail as she made her way through the mansion. She pushed open the sliding door and quietly pulled it shut behind her. She stuffed her hands into the pockets of her sweatpants. Technically, they were Hunter's sweatpants. But she hadn't thought about that detail until just now and it was too late to change.<p>

She walked down the cobblestone path that led to the pool and spotted Hunter a few feet ahead. Their eyes met and he smiled at her, somewhat meekly. "Thank you."

Crinkling her forehead in confusion she asked, "For what?"

"Being willing to talk to me."

Stephanie nodded and pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. She wasn't entirely sure what to say to that. Saying "you're welcome" wasn't going to happen. Not when he hadn't left her much choice in the matter. She could tell him exactly _that _but she didn't have it in her to do so. Now that she was standing face to face with him, the sarcasm drained right out of her. In its place, the hurt and disappointment had returned, in full form.

Hunter must have recognized the change for himself. His hazel eyes went soft and he reached out to grab her hand, but she shifted away from him and kept her hands stuffed in the pockets.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Hunter jerked his head away from their current area. "Walk with me. Please?" He asked.

"Okay," Stephanie said with a shrug.

She followed him in absolute silence for a couple of minutes, but wondered where he was taking her. The property literally spanned ten football fields, if not more. There were any number of places he could be leading her. She wasn't concerned about it…just curious. She was also curious about what he'd done with his free day. If he'd done something stupid and reckless – like with another woman – they were most certainly not going to have a civil conversation when they reached his destination.

"Where have you been all day?" She asked outright.

"Hanging out at Howard's gym in New York," he answered, turning his head to glance at her. She was looking off into space and deliberately avoiding his gaze. He'd leave that alone since she at least agreed to go on this stroll.

Silence descended upon them again and after a few more minutes they came upon the lake that only her parents had access to.

Scenery like this made Stephanie sometimes want a bigger piece of real estate. It wasn't that they couldn't afford it. They absolutely could. But she wanted her kids to have as normal a childhood as possible. Furthermore, she and Hunter agreed that being too extravagant with their living space might send the wrong message and/or have an undesired outcome. Their present house was certainly spacious…but her parents' house was a fucking compound, basically. Even when the entire family was home during her childhood, no one had any idea where anyone else was in the place.

Shane might be at the lake, Stephanie may have been off on one of the numerous trails and God knows what wing of the house each parent was in. The situation really did just help them become more distant and screwed up as a family. She didn't want that for her family. She wanted to take an active role in parenting and to do the best she could to know what was going on with her three kids. Between her and Hunter, they pretty much had it covered. She was grateful to be married to someone who agreed with her philosophy on…composed and restrained luxury, so to speak.

But the reasons why he shared that philosophy were rooted in even more negativity than hers were. And it was probably those roots that continued to pop up out of seemingly nowhere and screw things up in their marriage.

Hunter came to a stop next to the first bench that was positioned with a great view of the lake. He turned to look at her fully, his eyes scanning hers. "Stephanie," he sighed, saying no more.

Warm wetness rolled down her cheeks and she blinked in shock. She was so deep in thought she hadn't even realized she'd been crying. She drew her arm up and used the sleeve of the sweatshirt to quickly dry her eyes and face. "Look, I'm sorry about the pills!" She said, throwing her arms in the air to signify her defeat. "I just…I didn't know how or when to tell you. I mean, it would have come up eventually, but…" she trailed off with a shake of her head.

Hunter nodded to acknowledge her apology. "What made you start taking them again?"

"I was under a lot of stress when I was pregnant with Jack. You know that. He was born premature and quite frankly it's a miracle I didn't miscarry him in the first few months or deliver him stillborn."

He nodded again. "We were very lucky for that. And for the fact that he didn't have any health issues. "

"I mean we knew we wanted to be parents but we hadn't really been trying for a child. Jack was a surprise for both of us. We decided to have another at a time when everything was great. Granted, we ended up with a bonus baby and that just made it even greater. But planning to make a baby while things are so screwed up is just risky. I'd never forgive myself if something happened to our child that I had the ability to prevent. I didn't want to gamble with fate, Hunter."

"I…" Hunter began and trailed off, feeling the heat beginning to rush to his face. He was glad that he was totally off base in the assumptions that had led him to stay away from her today. But he felt pretty fucking silly that Stephanie's reasons for taking the pills were…well, actually the right thing to do. He'd flown off the handle and stormed out without cause, basically. "I feel like an asshole."

"You _are _an asshole," Stephanie corrected. Hunter's face fell even further and Stephanie couldn't help but let the tiniest of smiles form on her lips.

"I'm sorry I left. I really am. If I'd just stuck around to listen instead of making assumptions and bailing," he sighed and ran a hand over his head to convey his frustration. "Well, I had a lot planned for you today," he said simply.

Once again, he'd probably thought the absolute worst of her. She'd be lying if she said it didn't hurt that after all of this time together, it was still his inclination to believe she would purposely cause him pain.

But considering that that's exactly what she'd done when she thought he'd cheated on her…she couldn't exactly blame him for going back to that instinct. "What assumptions did you make?" She asked, but was unsure if she really wanted to know the answer.

"I thought about it a little. The fact that you stopped the pills, but started again told me that something must have happened to change your mind." Hunter shrugged and scratched at his chin for a moment. "I couldn't really think of anything other than Howard. Like, maybe you didn't want to chance having a baby that'd turn out like him." He lowered his gaze sadly and kicked at imaginary rocks. "Or maybe even me," he finally admitted.

That did it. His admission managed to break through the wall she'd desperately tried to keep up ever since she spotted him on the lawn. It was stupid, so stupid of her not to realize that this is what he was thinking. She knew the man better than anyone – better than he knew himself sometimes. Yet this explanation hadn't even crossed her mind.

Stephanie took a step closer to him and placed her hands on his broad shoulders. "Look at me, please," she requested.

Hunter obliged her by lifting his head.

She scanned his eyes and could tell that he wasn't even slightly joking with what he'd said to her. "Hunter I wouldn't have married you if I was afraid to have my kids turn out like you."

"When you married me you didn't know about my past. You didn't even know before you got pregnant with Jack."

Stephanie shook her head vehemently. "We had the twins _well _after I knew. Nothing that happened back then was your fault. The only reason I care about your past at all is because of the power you let it have in the present."

"Such as?"

"I'm not saying any of this to be offensive; please know that. But your habit of shutting down and running away when there's an issue. You're so much better, but your reluctance to discipline the kids when they're misbehaving. Your general inclination to believe I'm out to get you…and, well, the fact that you just about _boil _yourself in the shower."

Hunter couldn't help but chuckle at the last example she used. Because of the cold baths he'd been subjected to during his childhood, he absolutely loathed cold water. His idea of a "cold shower" was lukewarm, at the very least.

Personally, Stephanie liked her showers to be with water that was just past warm. But showering with Hunter? She felt like she was a fucking lobster he was trying to cook.

Feeling a little bit more at ease with her now, he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Old habits die hard. I am trying though, Steph."

"I know you are." She leaned up and pressed her lips to his cheek for a few seconds. "I'm really sorry about the 'drama' comment. Of course I don't think you're causing fights for no reason. Not now, anyway. That was my opinion before we talked about everything, though."

Considering the catalysts for said fights, he could see why she'd held the belief that he was probably just losing his damn mind. "That's understandable."

"When it was just the arguing, I figured it would run its course soon enough. But hearing that our problems ran way deeper than that - during that talk in the gym - I decided it was best to postpone conceiving another child."

Hunter sighed. "I wish you'd have just told me that. I would've agreed with you."

"I didn't see that happening…not while everything was so topsy turvy."

"You underestimate me."

Stephanie swallowed hard to try to steel herself to make an admission of her own. She disentangled herself from her husband and sat down on the bench, staring out at the water. It wasn't easy making herself so vulnerable. But it had to be done if they were ever going to stay happy longer than a week.

Of course, there was the Howard wildcard that had the potential to blow everything to smithereens. But Hunter had been with him damn near all day and obviously his brother hadn't spilled the beans. So maybe he really _did _truly care about her husband and didn't want to lose him as a brother. If that was the case, she was safe. Hunter didn't have to know anything and she could put her mind at ease about him finding out in a way that he shouldn't.

As far as she was concerned, the situation was over and done with. As long as Howard kept his distance and kept his foul mouth shut, she was keen on forgetting about the whole thing.

"It's not that I underestimate you. I'm…I'm afraid."

Hunter sat down next to her. He lifted a hand to her chin to make her look at him. "Huh? Afraid of what? Of me?" He wasn't going to panic. He wasn't going to jump to conclusions. He wouldn't assume anything. He'd make his brain shut the hell up so that he could actually _listen _to what she had to say this time.

Stephanie smiled a little bit and placed a hand on his wrist to draw his hand from her face. She intertwined their fingers and brought them down to her lap. "No, I'm not afraid of you. Not like that. Every time you storm off during an argument I'm afraid that…that maybe you won't come back."

"Okay," he started slowly and blew out a breath. "I know I'm an impulsive hothead and I'm working on it. Couples fight sometimes; that's just the way of it. I leave to try to avoid saying something I'll regret." He tilted his head from side to side in consideration. "Sometimes, I end up regretting that I left, but that's only when I look back at the whole situation. Why would you think I wouldn't come back to you?"

Stephanie bit down on her lip and shut her eyes tightly for a moment. "Because 6 years ago, you didn't."

"I see," he said quietly. "So I'm not the only one carrying around a bit of our past."

With a shake of her head, she had no choice but to admit, "You're not. I mean I'm over what happened."

Hunter stared at her dully.

"Okay I'm as over it as I'm probably ever going to be," she relented. "It's just; when something happens I practically get thrown back in time. I start wondering if that current fight is gonna be your breaking point. Whether you're gonna be gone a few hours, a day, a week, a month or forever. I don't like admitting this, but I have to. Because it's _there_ and trying to convince either of us that it isn't, won't help."

Hunter let go of her hand and instead rubbed her cheek affectionately. "I'm sorry that my temper brings all of that back to you. We both have – sensitivities. Maybe we should be more careful with each other."

"Yeah, probably."

"Then that's what we'll do, starting tonight. I won't take off like that again. If I leave I'll just, I don't know. Go for a walk in the area. Meanwhile _you _start keeping me in the loop, going forward, even if you think it's something that will upset me. Deal?"

Going forward. Meaning the past wasn't relevant when it came to this new level of disclosure. Meaning she was clear of the Howard fiasco. She smiled and readily accepted his terms. "Deal. Now…you said something about a present earlier? Gimme, please."

Hunter laughed and reached down into his pocket for her gift. It was then that Stephanie realized what he was wearing. A fucking muscle tank and workout shorts. At damn near eleven at night at the end of September. Was he crazy? Was he purposely trying to get himself sick?

"What the hell are you wearing?"

"I borrowed it from Howard. I worked out in the track pants and t-shirt I had on."

"Oh my God. Babe, you should have changed into something warmer when you were at home."

Hunter shrugged. The last thing on his mind had been his attire and whether or not it would keep him warm. Once he realized what the fuck was happening in his marriage, his first and only thought was getting to Stephanie to try to sort things out. He hadn't thought about the weather at this time of night. He was touched by her concern, but until she mentioned it, he hadn't noticed the temperature. "Warmth wasn't on my list of priorities. Nothing was, except for you."

Stephanie felt the blush staining her cheeks already. "I love you," she told him sincerely.

All in all, this was the perfect scene. They were sitting together on a bench that overlooked a beautiful, tranquil lake. There were trees, plants and flowers scattered about the area. And to top it off, the moon was glistening off the surface of the water. The peaceful, romantic setting is exactly why he'd wanted to talk to her here.

He moved so that he was facing her. "Well, I could say it back to you. And I'd absolutely mean it. But I think I'll let your present say it for me, for now." He presented a box that was too big to have a ring inside. It was a bluish-green color, much like her eyes were at times. A silver ribbon wrapped around the box and was tied at the top in the shape of a bow.

Stephanie accepted the box and quickly untied the ribbon and opened it. Hunter watched her intently, smiling at the little gasp she let out when she read the inscription on the locket. "Open it," he told her.

She did as he said and immediately placed a hand over a heart. Her husband and their babies wishing her a happy birthday, through photograph, was legitimately the cutest, sweetest thing she'd ever seen. "This is beautiful. Thank you."

"Our offspring had a lot to do with it, too."

Stephanie laughed at his word choice. "I'll make sure to thank them in the morning. Will you help me put it on?"

Hunter took the outstretched necklace and waited while Stephanie gathered her wayward hair. He clasped the necklace for her and allowed his hands to linger on her neck. "So how do you want to spend what's left of your birthday?"

"The same way I started it: with you."

Hunter ran his hands from her neck, down her shoulders and arms, before settling them on her waist. He shifted on the bench until he was leaning against the corner, between the armrest and the cushioned backing, pulling Stephanie along with him.

She relaxed her back against his chest and covered his hands with hers. A happy little sigh escaped her as she felt his lips gently touch the side of her neck, her earlobe and then her cheek. She turned her head to make it easier for his lips to meet hers in a slow, yet passionate kiss.

They broke apart and settled back into their previous positions, in comfortable silence.

A little tune was in Stephanie's head and she kept it to herself for a moment while she waited for the words to come back to her. They soon did and she parted her lips to sing lowly, "Oh, kiss me beneath the milky twilight. Lead me out on the moonlit…" she trailed off on a chuckle to join in with Hunter's extreme amusement.

In the middle of his laughing fit he said, "God, I love you."

* * *

><p>Song reference is "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None the Richer. If you don't know it - GO LISTEN. It is epic. LOL.<p>

Anyway, hope you are enjoyed the amusement in the beginning and fluff in the end. At least they're making some progress, eh?


	42. Dagger

Hunter waited until Jackson was settled and buckled into his seat before driving away from the curb of his school. The twins were in the backseat chattering away about any and everything as usual.

Distantly, Hunter wondered if this is how he and Howard would have interacted with each other, if they'd grown up together. That was one question he'd absolutely never know the answer to. Even his best speculations and assumptions couldn't be in any way verified or tested. He also wondered what trajectories their lives would have taken if they hadn't been separated. Hell, if they'd both stayed with their biological parents into adulthood. He imagined that the both of them would likely be strung out on drugs lying in a ditch someplace, jonesing for their next hit or waiting for an easy mark to steal from.

With a light shake of his head, he rid his mind of those thoughts entirely. Neither of them had perfectly stellar upbringings, but they turned out just fine…depending on what one would define as "fine," that is.

A tiny hand slapping against the back of his seat got his attention. "Daddy you're not listening!" Karmina accused. Hunter glanced up at the rearview mirror and couldn't help but chuckle at the annoyed, pouting four-year old.

"I'm sorry," he apologized lightly. "What is it, Reesie?"

"Me and Kayce in gym today, Daddy we did AWESOME!" She practically squealed, bouncing in her seat with excitement.

His amused brown eyes tracked over to the right a little bit, to see Kaycee agreeing with her sister, with rapid, enthusiastic nods and equally high bounces.

"Yeah?" He asked with a huge smile. "What did you girls do?"

"Daddy, Miss Cynthia says we _nailed _the cartwheel today!"

"On the beam, Daddy," Kaycee interjected for further clarification.

Oh shit. That was the sole thought running through Hunter's mind right now. Ever since the girls began recreational gymnastics just after they'd turned four, it seemed the instructors were leading them in the direction of actually competing. The instructors had asked Hunter and Stephanie to allow the girls an extra day in class. With the way the twins had perked up, begged and then finally resorted to nearly bursting in tears, they'd agreed.

The coaches had to know what they were doing, to have broached the subject while the girls were standing all of six inches away. The parents hadn't rescinded their decision or anything. After all, this wasn't even truly pre-team yet. That required a formal invitation, more hours of gym time and more money out of their pockets, of course. And though both girls were naturally very agile and athletic, there were still some skills they lacked that would prevent them from receiving a pre-team invitation. Plus, because of their age and the fact that they were spoiled rotten by their father, they weren't as "coachable" as some of the other girls who were older and more mature.

That seemed to be changing now, though. Not only were the girls listening better, but they'd also nailed another pre-team qualifying skill set. Meaning they'd soon nail another. And another. And Stephanie and Hunter would be forced to come to a firm decision on the whole gymnastics thing.

Their research suggested that if they allowed the girls to eventually compete, the sport would literally replace their childhood. They'd eventually need to be in gym around sixteen hours per week, in addition to the actual competitions, which tended to take place on the weekends. There'd be cross-country travel involved as they progressed.

And they _would _progress…because look at who their parents were. Hell, even their grandparents and uncles had quite a bit of natural athleticism.

"Daddy, are you excited?" Kaycee asked, tapping her index finger against Hunter's shoulder impatiently.

Reaching into the backseat, Hunter grabbed Kaycee's side and tickled her briefly. He smiled at his daughter's hysterical laughter. It was one of his favorite sounds, from all three children. "What kind of question is that, Kaycee Samantha?" He asked in a teasing voice. "Of course I'm excited! My girls learned something new! I'm proud of you both."

"Thanks Daddy!" They both said giddily.

On the other hand...more gymnastics probably was a decent, productive outlet for all of this damn energy the two of them had. But that alone wasn't a good reason to consider seriously encouraging them to eventually go for the team.

"Dad, where are you going?" Jackson asked from the last row of the SUV. He craned his neck forward as he looked around trying to figure out the answer to his own question. He definitely knew that this wasn't the way home.

Hunter used the rearview mirror to glance at his son. He had to suppress his smile as he made the decision to have a little bit of fun with this, at the kids' expense. "Oh, didn't I tell you? We're moving."

"Moving?" Jack questioned with widened hazel eyes. "Where?"

Hunter shrugged and turned his eyes back to the road, turning down another street that was unfamiliar to the kids. "I'm not really sure. I'm just gonna drive until we run out of gas and I guess that'll be where we settle."

The next question came from Kaycee. "If you don't know where we're going, Daddy, how will Mommy come live with us?"

"I don't know, Sam. We just have to hope that she'll figure it out."

Next, Karmina's high-pitched voice weighed in with, "We can't move, Daddy! Not unless Mommy knows where we are!"

"What's all this? You guys wouldn't be okay with it if your Mom couldn't find us?"

As if on cue, all three children shouted, "NO!"

Finally, Hunter started laughing. He pulled the truck over to the curb and brought it to a stop, shutting off the engine. He held up his hands in surrender. "All right, all right. I guess that wouldn't be fair," he concluded as he unsnapped his seatbelt. "Besides, _this _is where we're really going." Hunter gestured to the row of shops across the street.

The children chattered amongst themselves, speculating at what they were doing here. Briefly, Hunter considered letting them stay in the car. He'd called ahead and knew that his order was ready. It was just a matter of running in and collecting the item. The kids would be perfectly fine for the two minutes he'd be gone. In fact, it'd probably take him longer to get them all out, across the street and back. But still…the idea of leaving them unattended just unsettled him. He'd rather be safe than sorry.

Hunter got the three of them out of the car and grabbed Karmina and Jackson's hands. He instructed Kaycee to hold her sister's hand. When the passing traffic cleared, he led the way across the street, occasionally looking to his side to make sure Kaycee hadn't fallen behind or that some car hadn't popped up out of nowhere. The four of them stepped up onto the curb and walked just a few yards more before coming to a stop in front of a flower shop. Hunter held the door open, letting the kids walk in first.

The fifty-something year old man behind the counter smiled brightly in their direction. "Hunter! Good to see you, kid!"

"Hey Nate!" Hunter greeted, slapping hands with the older man.

Nate's gaze tracked down to Hunter's side and his brown eyes practically popped out of their sockets. "Don't tell me this is your boy!"

"Right?" Hunter laughed. "Kid is growing like a weed, I swear."

Jackson's nose scrunched up in confusion. "I know him, Dad?" He asked, looking up at Hunter.

"Yeah, but you wouldn't remember. Last time he saw you, you were in diapers."

Jackson nodded his head in acknowledgement and turned to the older man. "Hi. I'm Jack," he announced, sticking out his much smaller hand.

"Nice to see you again. I'm Nate," he returned, shaking the little boy's hand. He looked towards Hunter again, to see a pair of smaller feet, sticking out from behind each of his legs. "You've got some new additions, huh?"

Hunter glanced behind him and chuckled at the twins' attempt to hide. Karmina and Kaycee weren't exactly shy girls. They only got like this when they were sleepy or hungry. Without a doubt, the latter was currently at play right now. "Yeah, a set of twins. Say hello, girls. He won't bite you," Hunter explained, tugging each of their hands lightly.

Each of them held onto one of their father's legs. With the other hand, they sent a wave and uttered out a "hello," in unison.

Hunter rolled his eyes and chuckled again. Leave it to them to literally stick to saying what he told them to. "The one on my left is Kaycee. The one on my right is Karmina. They're hard to tell apart, sometimes even for family. Feel free to just call them 'the twins' or 'the girls'…or hell, even 'mini-Stephanie's' since they look just like her."

Nate looked at each girl, trying to find a distinguishing feature to tell who was who. He shrugged and gave up shortly thereafter. "Nice to meet you, girls. Speaking of your wife, how is she?"

"She's good…" He answered without further elaboration. There wasn't much else he could or would say with three astute pairs of ears listening.

As far as he knew, the guy only popped in when he was trying to get back in his wife's good graces. Which was precisely why he'd never met the twins and hadn't seen Jack since he was a toddler. And even on that last visit, Hunter hadn't been in trouble – he'd just been in the neighborhood and wanted to pop in to say hello. And to thank Nate for the part he played in bringing his family back together. Sure, it had been a couple years late, but at least he was thoughtful enough to have done so. "But…you're here…buying things?" Nate asked, hoping that Hunter picked up on the implication of his question.

Hunter raised and lowered his eyebrows quickly. "Exactly."

"All righty then! Let's get you on your way!"

* * *

><p>The first thing that Hunter noticed as he opened the kitchen door was the smell of something delicious. He rounded the corner to find the oven on, with Stephanie nowhere in sight. Being completely nosy, he walked over and took note of the fact that the timer was winding down; currently, whatever was cooking had ten minutes left.<p>

Cautiously, he glanced all around to make sure the coast was clear. The kids had already made their way upstairs, Stephanie was…somewhere not here. And he was dying to know what she was making, quite frankly. His left hand reached out and grasped the handle in an attempt to yank open the over door.

A much smaller, softer hand slapped at his quickly. The surprise made him lose his grip and the oven door slam shut before he could see what was inside.

Hunter quickly hid what was in his right hand, turned around and failed miserably in his attempts to look innocent. He truly looked like a kid who'd gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar before dinner. "Hey Steph. I was just, ah…" he trailed off.

Stephanie lifted an eyebrow and stifled her smile by rubbing her lips together. "Curiosity killed the cat," she pointed out.

"You wouldn't kill me."

"Not literally, no," she laughed. "I like having you around."

"Good, cause I have something for you." From behind his back, he presented the bundle of mixed flowers.

Stephanie beamed a smile at him and took the flowers. It had been a long time since she'd received flowers from him – about six years, in fact. She wasn't bothered by it; Hunter found other things to surprise her with when he was in the mood. And per their history, she got flowers when he was trying to soften her heart towards him. "Carnations, daisies…and…" she trailed off, eyeing two totally different white flowers with speculation.

"That one is called 'lily of the valley' and this one is the 'calla lily.' I picked them because they have a better meaning than regular lilies."

"What does it mean? Actually, what do they all mean?"

"Carnations signify fascination, distinction and love. Daisies are for innocence, purity, and cheerfulness. Calla lily is for exceptional beauty. Lily of the valley means that you complete me."

Stephanie cast her gaze downward; her natural reaction to the almost constant blushing this man made her do. What other guy would legitimately take the time to research what different flowers meant, to make sure that his arrangement conveyed a special, wonderful message? Most men would just grab roses from a grocery store and be done with the matter. But not Hunter. And he'd even remembered the little detail from six years ago; when Andrew had left a bunch of roses and she declared that she'd be fine with never seeing another one again. As Hunter got up to throw the offending bundle away, he told her that he could get her carnations, daisies or lilies instead.

So, naturally, he'd gone out and put together a bouquet of all three. Four, really, considering that he'd gotten two different types of lilies.

"Thank you," she said sincerely, wrapping an arm around his neck to bring him closer for a kiss.

They broke apart and Hunter shrugged. "No need to thank me. I really am sorry about yesterday."

Again, Stephanie cast her gaze downward. She nervously fiddled with the bundle of creative, thoughtful flowers…that she probably didn't deserve at this particular moment. The man had professed his thoughts of her, in a really beautiful way and yet she was still keeping something huge from him. Under their new arrangement, she was _technically _off the hook about the Howard thing – which was doing absolutely nothing to ease her guilty conscience.

Fuck, she didn't want to start what would end up being another fight with him. But keeping something this huge from her husband – all the while he beat himself up over his own mistakes – was pretty much killing her emotionally. Yet, she just plain didn't have the courage to broach the topic. She felt like she was just now getting her marriage back and was scared shitless that if she lost it again, it may be gone for good. Maybe that was overthinking and exaggerating, but it's honestly how she felt. There was no way to gauge how her husband would react. But with each situation, each argument, his reactions got worse and worse. She couldn't be sure that this wouldn't be the one to push him away for the long haul.

Call her a coward if you wanted. She'd rather be a married coward with a nagging voice instructing her to tell the truth, than suffer through another Godforsaken separation.

With her free hand, she reached out and grabbed his. She pressed a kiss to the inside of his palm and assured him, "It was partially my fault, too. Neither of us is perfect, Hunter. But just know that I do love and forgive you. And I hope that when I make a poor choice, you'll be as understanding."

Hunter crinkled his forehead in confusion. Stephanie sounded as if she'd already done something wrong. Or maybe she was just stating the inevitable – that at some point in the future she may mess up simply because she was human. Whatever the case was, he nodded his head to appease her and watched as she turned away from him and made the preparations to put the flowers in water.

Honestly, he wanted to ask her why she already sounded and looked remorseful, but he didn't. Instead, he switched to something a bit more lighthearted.

When she turned towards him again, he pointed at the oven and asked, "So what's cookin', good lookin'?"

Relief washed over him and he couldn't help but smile at the way her face lit up as she laughed.

"Pizza. From scratch. Completely organic and loaded with veggies."

"Need any help with anything?" He asked, jerking his head towards the oven before wiggling his eyebrows, suggestively.

"No, I do not need a taste tester that doubles as a human garbage disposal."

"Rude!" He exclaimed with a scoff. "I bring you flowers and offer my services and this is how you treat me."

"Eating the entire pizza before your kids get any isn't a useful service."

"Ohhhhhh," he dragged out and snapped his fingers. "That's right; we have kids. I'll go make sure the little people are all washed up for dinner."

Stephanie leaned up and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Thanks, honey."

Nope, what she was doing – or _not _doing wasn't the least bit right. No amount of trying to convince herself otherwise would work. She had to get this out soon. Every time he did or said something sweet or thoughtful, it was like a dagger was being twisted inside her chest or something. It hurt her that all the while he was trying to do better – to be more open, honest and attentive – she was allowing him to be in the dark on something that was relatively important.

She just…couldn't take this much longer. As soon as she could get someone to look after the kids for a night again, she'd talk to him. She had a funny feeling that the conversation wasn't going to be quiet, nor pretty.

* * *

><p>So, as you all know by now, I plan to end this at or before chapter 50. I've got three major chapters left...everything in between really just moves us towards those. 43 or 44 will be the first major chapter...depends on if I choose to dive right into the scene, or kinda toy with you guys a bit first hahaha. In fact, I'll even let YOU GUYS decide. Shall we have a HowardSteph/Hunter scene in 43 or shall I go straight to the major scene?


	43. Deserving

Kevin Nash reached the end of the long serving table. His nose scrunched up and he lifted his head to yell, "Hunter, ya got any more chips?"

Next to him, Shawn Michaels winced. "Jesus freakin' Christ, Kev. Are you asking the entire block?"

Kevin nudged Shawn with his shoulder. "Shut up, _Showstopper_. All the chips are gone. It's Hunter's house so he knows if there's more."

"Yeah but must you yell clear across the backyard about potato chips like some kind of caveman?"

"Forget you, man! How else am I gonna ask about the chips? Call him? Text him?"

Hunter walked up behind them, shaking his head at their bickering. For some reason, that's what the two of them constantly did. And it was usually over Shawn messing with Kevin over something he did or said. He slapped a hand on both their shoulders and laughed a little. "Now, now, ladies…there's no need to argue over me."

Kevin snorted and playfully brushed off the shorter, blonde man's hand. "I care more about the chips than you, man."

"That hurts my feelings," Hunter quipped.

From a nearby table, Stephanie and Marissa laughed to themselves while they listened to the banter of the three men. If only there was a television camera present, this would surely be ratings gold. If her father was paying more attention, he'd probably try to record the interaction on his cell phone or something.

Three wrestling legends arguing over potato chips and manners was as ridiculous as it was amusing. They'd literally spend the next ten or fifteen minutes going back and forth about the whole thing unless someone intervened. Given that they were currently holding up the line…and causing their respective wives to be hungrier longer, Stephanie decided to take the lead. She excused herself from the table and headed inside the house.

As soon as she made her way past the sliding glass doors, she headed for the pantry and grabbed the last bags of Lays and salt and pepper flavored Kettle chips. She closed the door over and turned to go back outside, but her brow furrowed in confusion at the sound coming from the front of the house. Momentarily abandoning her task, she made her way towards the noise. Upon entering the living room, she stopped dead in her tracks.

Stephanie's eyes – which had previously been a grayish blue, in accordance with her lighthearted mood – faded into a color that resembled ice chips and narrowed suspiciously.

Instead of looking intimidated or even apologetic, Howard simply smirked at her, his hazel eyes twinkling mischievously. He glanced around, seeing that for the moment, he and Stephanie were all alone. "Hey good looking," he greeted as he stepped further into the house.

She didn't mean to; not really. But she partially scowled at her husband's twin. "You have no idea how much it pisses me off that you have a key to my house."

Howard grinned and held his hands up in mock fear for a moment, continuing to step closer to her. "How about you…try to take it from me?" He challenged, dangling the key in front of her face.

Stephanie scoffed and turned her gaze away before trying to quickly reach out and grab the key. Howard simply lifted it higher; barely allowing the tips of her fingers to connect with the metal she so desired.

"Come on, Steph!" He said exasperatedly. "Your brother has a key, right? It'd be discrimination to try to keep your husband's brother from having one, too. Don't you think so?"

"If said brother uses it for more than what's necessary and just waltzes in and out as he pleases, then no."

Howard waved his hand in dismissal of her overt accusation. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! You don't even know what I'm here for, first of all. Second of all, had you not started getting mouthy with me as soon as I said hello, you'd know that my visit has a purpose."

Hello? That's how he pegged his statement? If she wasn't mistaken, it was the very same thing that he'd said to her when he thought she was coming on to him the first day that they met. And even barring that, the recent occurrence made the 'greeting' feel entirely too flirtatious. "You're so full of shit that I'm surprised you're not doubling over in pain."

Howard's lips parted in slight surprise. But he recovered quickly enough to send her a trademark smirk. "Ouch; so judgmental! I get it, I do. Maybe that first time I used the key, I was just kinda hanging out. Sue me; you guys have got a nice place here and all. But I realized the full extent of our predicament and decided it's best to only come here with an explicit reason."

Drawing her eyebrows together in confusion, she asked, "Our…predicament?"

"Yeah. I know I just recently found out about Hunter, but that's still my bro. I wanna do what I can to help his marriage not fall to shit, ya know? I mean, the fact that you can't keep your hands or lips off me isn't my fault, but-"

Howard stopped in mid-sentence, feeling the harsh sting of Stephanie's palm connecting with his cheek. He rubbed the feeling back into his jaw, his gaze on her unwavering. "Play nice, Steph," he told her easily. Almost as if he was talking to an unruly child. "And I might let you taste-"

"Baby?" Hunter questioned loudly from the kitchen.

Stephanie kept her furious stare on Howard. She had a decent guess at the completely inappropriate vulgarity that was going to fly out of the hole in his face that she desperately wished someone would sew shut. Had he finished that sentence, she'd have slapped the fucking taste out of his mouth, yet again.

It would be her fucking luck that Hunter wouldn't come looking for her until now. Though she could hope otherwise, clearly he hadn't heard any of the exchange between her and Howard. Yes, it was a cowardly hope, but if he'd been able to see for herself what a piece of shit Howard was…and how he talked to her, it would solve her disclosure problem.

And that disclosure problem was rapidly turning into a Howard problem since he was still randomly letting himself in and continuing to make sexual propositions to her.

Stephanie squared her jaw in frustration and anger before rolling her eyes at Howard. "I'm in here!" She called out to Hunter.

With each word, his voice sounded closer and she knew that he would soon spot the shithead he was related to. "Kevin's outside bitching about chips…did you move them or something? I looked in the cabinet but they're all…Howard," he finished as he stepped further into the living room.

"What's up bro?" Howard asked, crossing the distance to slap hands with his twin. "Sounds like you're having a party out there."

Hunter laughed for a moment. "A little. I threw something together for Steph's birthday."

Oh, for heaven's sake! Howard was going to end up staying and effectively ruining her afternoon. She just knew it. There would be no way to politely tell him to leave, even if Hunter was willing to do that. Her only hope was if Howard turned down the invitation by having something better to do. Which likely meant having some random floozy to do.

Stephanie met Hunter midway through the living room, passing him the bag of Lays. She linked her arm through his and somewhat leaned her head on his shoulder. The contact was just about the only thing that could calm her down and comfort her at the moment.

"Ah, that's right! Happy belated, sis!" He exclaimed with much enthusiasm.

Sis? As in sister? What a fucking laugh. The jerk had basically impersonated her husband and tried having sex with her in their home and had just insinuated explicit things not more than two minutes ago. Clearly, he did not view her as a sister. In her mind, he wasn't viewing Hunter as a brother – not if he could make those type of moves on his wife without remorse.

Perking up as much as was humanly possible, she uttered out a halfway decent, "Thanks."

Well, she may as well get this over with. If she didn't make the invite, Hunter eventually would. But she'd be potentially categorized as a bitch if she didn't offer, given that this was technically her party. Somehow, she just couldn't force her lips to actually welcome him to join them. Instead she asked, "Are you gonna hang around?"

Howard shook his head in the negative. "Got plans, sis! I just came by to give this back to Hunter," he announced, handing over a paper bag from Whole Foods Market.

Hunter reached out for the bag and peeked in, noting that these were the clothes he'd left behind on his last impromptu trip to New York. "Thanks man. You didn't have to come way over here for this, though."

"It's not a prob. I'm meeting a chick for drinks in Stamford shortly."

There was a God and Stephanie had possibly managed to finally win his or her favoritism. It was about damn time. She could make herself be hospitable so as not to piss Hunter off or make him suspicious. "Aww, well, at least you can grab a plate of food to take with you before you head out," she offered brightly. Beside her, she felt Hunter nodding in agreement.

Howard rubbed his thin beard thoughtfully. Truth be told, he would love to eat before his date. Then when the broad mentioned wanting to go out for dinner, he would be telling the truth if he said he'd already eaten. It may save him money and time, as he could easily justify taking her to a fast food restaurant.

But having to go out there and interact with their family and friends? He'd rather not. Group settings were fine if he knew half or more of the attendees. But in this case, he knew no one outside of Hunter's immediate family. He didn't feel like making the small talk or being reprimanded for some comment or question he didn't realize wasn't allowed.

So, fuck it. He was out. Shelling out twenty or forty bucks, to take a hot girl out to dinner was much more appealing than sticking himself into this awkward situation. He slapped a hand on Hunter's shoulder. "I appreciate the offer, you guys, but if I don't jet now, I'm gonna be late."

"No problem. You're always free to visit whenever, ya know," Hunter said easily.

Internally, Stephanie cringed. Could he _not _say that? Howard took shit like that literal even if for no other reason than to try to entertain himself and piss her off. Or worse.

Howard nodded his head, readily accepting the invite. "Appreciate it. Maybe when your shindig is done I'll be free and we can go out for drinks." He paused deliberately and then shifted his gaze to Stephanie. "I mean if it's okay with the wife, of course."

She wasn't sure what kind of face she'd made initially, but she was sure that it conveyed both shock and disgust. So basically after getting drunk and likely banging some random girl, Howard then wanted to go drinking – again – with her husband? Did he have a vendetta against his liver or something? Did he somehow drive better when he was drunker?

Whatever. That blonde was not her concern, even though he looked exactly like the one that she did worry over. So she shrugged and agreed to the tentative plans with, "It's fine by me."

"Cool. Well, Hunter I'll see ya later, bro. And _Steph_," he said with an emphasis that only she seemed to notice. "I'll see you soon."

God, she couldn't fucking stand him! She felt bad for thinking it, but she actually liked things much better when Hunter had no family floating about interfering in shit at all. She knew that she'd feel a little differently if she didn't have the brother-in-law from hell, though. She'd love for her husband to find more relatives, so long as they didn't behave like this prick. She couldn't say any of that, though. Stephanie cleared her throat and gave him a noncommittal, "Sure. Baby?" She asked, tugging on Hunter's arm lightly. "I'm gonna take these," she said, holding up the kettle chips, "outside before Kevin starts powerbombing people."

"Good idea," Hunter chuckled as she detangled herself from him. "I'll be right behind you."

Howard clucked his tongue loudly. "You know, taken out of context, that would mean something totally different."

"Dude," Hunter said, playfully shoving Howard. "Take that gutter brain of yours to whatever flavor of the day you've got waiting on you."

"Aye yi, captain!" Howard said with a salute before making his way towards the front door.

Stephanie stepped through the glass doors and almost instantly ran into Shawn. "Steph! Gahhh, you're a lifesaver!" He exclaimed, placing his hands on her shoulders and giving her a light shake. "Kevin's complaining of being starving but says he won't eat his burger until he has chips. He's driving his pregnant wife crazy. GIMME THESE!" He shouted playfully, taking the bag from her loose grasp and literally making a mad, purposely exaggerated dash over to where Kevin was sitting with his wife and her brother, Shane.

"PLEASE eat real food now, your majesty," Shawn said, bowing his head and extending his arms to present the bag.

Anyone who was within hearing distance of the exchange – including Stephanie – burst into laughter. Only Shawn. A very familiar, deep laugh echoed behind her, before she felt a strong pair of arms wrap around her waist.

It was absolutely pointless to hide her blush at this point, she knew. So instead she just smiled. "Thank you for doing all of this, Hunter. I know you were working on limited time, but it's amazing, really."

Hunter pressed a kiss against her cheek. "It's no problem. You deserve it and so much more, Steph."

Guiltily, she hung her head the slightest bit. No, she really didn't deserve for him to be trying so hard to right the wrongs of her birthday. Not when it was her own individual actions and words that had run him off that day. And certainly not when she was pretty much lying to him _and _allowing him to try to become closer with someone who was less trustworthy and loyal than a used car salesman.

She'd get a start to fixing that and she'd do it tonight. A number of relatives and friends had flown or drove into town for this last minute birthday party. Finding someone to keep the kids tonight wouldn't take long. Even if each kid needed to go to a different house, hotel or whatever. She'd casually start testing the waters on securing one or more babysitters, when she and Hunter split off to socialize with different groups.

* * *

><p>Kay guys! So there was no way for me to make the "major" scene happen without this chapter being well over 5,000 words. There'd be way too much happening, tbh (especially with ShawnKev's hilarity and Howard's usual terribleness)...so take it all in and know that the next update won't be too far off. I've also decided that IF this needs to go beyond a few chapters past the 50th, for the sake of exploring an earlier angle that'll finally lead us to our ending, I'm fine with it :)

As always, I finished this at a ridiculous hour, so forgive typos and let me know what you think!


	44. Double Trouble

This chapter needs no intro, really! But I do wanna thank you all for your patience, pestering and reviews! LOL. As a present for all three, I decided to finish this chapter out...and let you all mull it over. A lot going on - from the adorbs and the squee to the shit hitting the fan, again. ENJOY and let me know what ya think!

* * *

><p>Hunter grinned as Kevin lowered down to Karmina and Kaycee's height, waiting for each girl to latch onto a bicep. He stood up straight again with a twin hanging from each of his arms. For the hell of it, Hunter pulled out his cellphone, aimed it at the trio and waited for Kevin to flex his muscles. Quickly, he snapped the picture and slid his phone back into his pocket.<p>

"Well, you're certainly gonna get tons of practice on having a little girl running about," he quipped.

"And then some!" Kevin's wife, Sydney commented. She was a tall woman, yet still stood literally one whole foot shorter than her husband. Despite her self-proclaimed "pigging" out during her pregnancy, she was still in tremendous shape and looked four months pregnant, instead of six. Her mid-back, black hair moved about and her gray eyes sparkled as she cracked up at her own joke.

"Double trouble," Stephanie chimed in to continue the hilarity.

"Hey!" Both girls cried out in their defense. "We're not trouble, Mommy!"

"Are we?" Karmina questioned with her eyebrows drawn together in legitimate wonder.

"No, you're not. You're my mini-me sweethearts," Stephanie said with a grin, ruffling the twins' hair.

Hunter smiled as he watched his daughters' blue eyes light up at both of those clearly obvious facts. They both wanted to be just like their mother – which made sense considering she was beautiful and amazing. They were born having more of her physical traits so they were already off to an excellent start in emulating Stephanie.

Even though he'd done what he could over the last couple of days to try making her birthday up to her, he wanted to do more. In the last few weeks things had been somewhat of a rollercoaster ride, to say the least. In that time, someone occasionally kept the kids for a night or a few hours. But he was thinking that maybe they needed to go be off to themselves with no interruptions for a few days. Maybe in a couple of weeks, they could go. He didn't want to send his children off for more than a night or two, since they'd done that quite a bit more than usual recently.

Jackson had gone off to New York with Stephanie's brother, Shane almost an hour ago. No convincing was necessary; he had two little sisters, so he was extremely excited to be able to hang out with his cousin, DJ. Of course, Jen would be there, too…but Jack's rationale was that the boys outnumbered the girls, for once.

With everyone randomly offering to kidnap his children for the night, it would have been a good opportunity to spend some time with just Steph. Unfortunately, he'd confirmed plans with Howard, before people starting making said offers. This time he didn't plan to get so drunk that he couldn't stand, so maybe he could cut the hangout a little bit short. That way he could make good use of them being childless for the night. And because he wouldn't have a fucking hangover, he could take her someplace during the day.

"All right! We're gonna head on out, you guys," Kevin announced. He stretched his arms above his head, earning a delighted giggle out of the twins while they held on as if they were vice grips.

"You girls be good for your Uncle Kevin and Aunt Syd, okay?" Hunter asked.

"Okay, Daddy!" They replied.

"Gimme kisses," he requested, first leaning his face closer to Karmina. She placed her little hands on either of his cheeks and pecked him on the side of the mouth. Hunter grinned and moved over to Kaycee, who mimicked her sister's affection.

When Hunter was finished, Stephanie kissed each of her girls on the cheek. For a few moments they watched Kevin and Sydney walk down the path that ran along the side of their house.

Stephanie turned to Hunter and gave him a crooked smile. "Well I _would _say it's just you and me now, if you weren't leaving, too."

"The kids are gone for the night. So you can bet I'll be back for more of these," Hunter declared as he grabbed her chin and pressed a quick kiss to her lips before walking back towards their house.

God, she was already well on her way to becoming flustered. She didn't make sure the kids got sent off so that they could have sex. She did it because she desperately needed to tell him what the hell had been going on. And she knew that he'd more than likely lose his shit over the revelation. She'd done this to herself, by keeping it in for so long. So she didn't want him to hold back, for fear of one of the kids overhearing their unavoidable confrontation.

When she heard the low rumble of his truck in the garage, something very important dawned on her. No, she hadn't wanted to have a major fight with him in the middle of the party – that's why she'd so readily agreed to him going out with Howard. But what she'd just done was miss an opportunity to tell him the truth _before_ he hung out with him again. It was too late for that, now. Hunter had already left.

Fuck, she just wasn't thinking clearly at all. That's how much this whole situation was messing with her.

* * *

><p>Howard tossed his head back and allowed the chilled tequila to slide down his throat. He winced a little, as the bitter taste hit him at the last second. "Damn," he complained, even as he signaled the bartender to get another round.<p>

With widened hazel eyes, Hunter asked, "What the hell, man? Rough day or something?"

"Heh," Howard laughed, running his fingertips along the rim of the shot glass. "You could say that."

"Seriously, that was your third shot and we've only been here for thirty minutes."

Howard shrugged. "One shot every ten minutes. Seems about right…things with the broad didn't go as planned."

More like a fucking catastrophe, if he was to be blunt. Not only could the girl hold her liquor well – meaning he spent more than he'd intended to – but she'd also forced him into a sit-down dinner. He'd tried to persuade her that they could order takeout at her place, but she was having none of it. Those should have been his clues that things were well and truly going downhill.

Instead, he'd kept trying, until the point where he finally just caved and gave her what she wanted. He figured that appearing gentlemanly would score him points and an invitation into her home when he dropped her off. But when he'd walked her to her door, he'd received a simple peck on the cheek.

He really hadn't meant to ruin his chivalrous act, but he was so dumbfounded that he'd actually asked if that was seriously all she was giving him tonight.

A slap to the face, tirade on dignity and morals were what he received shortly thereafter. That was two women in one damn day that had assaulted and reprimanded him. What the legit hell had happened to his appeal with women?

"Was it because you called her a 'broad' to her face?" Hunter asked, somewhat fearing his answer. He wouldn't put it past his brother to have done exactly that.

Howard laughed louder, but shook his head. He blew out a heavy breath as his next shot arrived. He didn't down it immediately, just…brooded at the gold colored liquid. "The short version is that I shelled out a lot of cash and nice-guy shit and she gave me nothing. A damn peck on the cheek and that's it. I called her ass on it and she went berserk, slapping me, talking about her pride, desire for a relationship and all of that. I mean, fuck! What is happening to me? I used to hit a home run every time!" He declared loudly before settling back down with a sigh.

"You ever think maybe you're going about things the wrong way?" Hunter asked lightly, taking a gulp of his rum and coke.

Howard took his next shot, the liquor tasting no better than it had during the previous three times he tried. With his face contorted with a combination of disgust over the tequila and bewilderment over his brother's question, he asked, "The fuck are you talkin' about, man?"

"I mean all your shit with women. The way you mislead them and are constantly playing head games just to try to get sex out of them."

"Your point?" Howard asked incredulously.

"My point is that you don't seem to care if you actually hurt any of them. There's gotta be a reason for that. Whatever that reason is, it's not being helped by the shit you're doing."

Howard gestured to himself. "I know what I'm doing, all right? I go out with these chicks just once. It's nothing ongoing. So if I take a broad out for food and drinks, fuck her immediately after, it's not my fault if she thought it was leading to a relationship. If they get hurt, it's their own fault for being stupid."

"Or maybe it's also yours?" Hunter offered.

"What the hell do _you _know?" Howard asked spitefully.

"I know that I was once very similar to _you_," Hunter countered. "The wrestling world was like being a rockstar. I was a single guy, with a fucked up past that I was eager to forget with whoever wanted to help me try. And you know what? It didn't work! No matter how many pretty women I casually dated or just straight up screwed, nothing had changed. I was still just as messed up as I was before they came along. That's what I'm trying to tell you, Howard. Nothing is gonna work until you start confronting your shit."

Confront his shit? What a crock. He was doing quite well for himself until this last week or so. Now he was thinking too much and asking questions about things he used to pretend didn't exist. He couldn't "confront" what was over and done with. But he _could _confront the self-righteous, hypocritical asshole that was his brother. "You're gonna go all fucking Dr. Phil on me when you can't even keep your own wife happy longer than a week? Who are you to talk?"

"I never said I was perfect. And ironically, Stephanie and I haven't fought this much in years. Ever since you and all the bullshit you come with blew into our lives, it's been one problem after the other."

Angrily, Howard shoved back from the counter and stood up from the barstool. "You think your life is so much fuckin' better than mine, huh?" He nearly yelled. "Rich motherfucker with angelic kids and a hot ass heiress wife? If the two of you weren't already fucked up, it wouldn't matter whether I'm around or not! Why don't you think about _that _instead of blaming your marital problems on me, huh?"

Hunter bit down on his lip to keep himself from yelling back. But he did stand up to face Howard. "I never said that; don't put words in my mouth," he said calmly. "And you leave my kids and my wife out of this," he warned mildly.

Howard shrugged. "No problem with the kids. They haven't done shit to me. I mind my business, they mind theirs."

"Steph hasn't done shit to you, either. In fact, considering what a dickhead you can be, she's been rather tolerant."

Bitterness washed over Howard and he laughed loudly. Before he knew what he was doing, he extended his hands, planting his palms into his brother's chest to give him a solid shove. Hunter bumped into the patron sitting at the stool next to them. The man quickly got up and made a beeline away from them, as did everyone else in their immediate area. "You think your wife is so fucking perfect, do you? Well I've got news for you! That little pretentious, skank bitch tried to fuck me at _your _house!"

Hunter tightened his jaw in anger, but wasted no time drawing his fist back and ramming it into Howard's face. The blow landed on his right cheek and sent him stumbling backwards before he caught his balance.

Howard touched his cheek, wincing at the pain the movement caused him. He poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue, noting the coppery taste of his own blood. He lifted his head and glared at his twin brother. He was unmistakably pissed, with his chest visibly heaving while he clenched and unclenched his fists. Not that Howard gave a fuck.

"That all you got?" He asked, taking a step closer to his brother. Before Hunter could react or respond, Howard took a hard shot at Hunter's ribs.

"Goddamn it!" Hunter groaned, clutching at the area instinctively. Howard took advantage of Hunter's weakened position by punching him straight in the face.

Howard uttered what sounded like a low, angry growl, pushing Hunter back until his huge frame hit the wall of the bar. He took several body shots at his brother, hitting him anywhere that was unprotected.

Finally, Howard lowered his head and rammed it into his brother's gut, feeling extremely satisfied with himself. He was winning their fight and proving that he was the better man. This guy used to basically fight as a way to earn his income. Yet here Howard was, kicking his ass.

Ignoring the pain in his torso, Hunter grabbed Howard's head before he could lift it fully, and slammed it against his knee.

"Fuck!" Howard yelled, stumbling backwards again. The liquor in his system caused him to sway unsteadily. The next thing he knew, he was caught on the side of his head by Hunter's fist. Howard fell into a table by the bar. The patrons had already vacated the area surrounding their brawl, sensing that they were going to mess things up. They stood huddled near the exit, looking on to see who would win.

In a flash, Hunter grabbed Howard by the shirt, simply so he had better access to punch him in the face repeatedly.

"Oooooh," their audience grimaced, after Hunter delivered a particularly vicious hit that landed partially on Howard's lip.

Howard spit out blood onto the table, the action giving him a bit of energy back, somehow. He gave Hunter a hard jab to the ribs, forcing his brother to lose his stance. Howard draw his legs back and then kicked his brother in the chest with everything he had.

Hunter's back hit another nearby table, before he fell over and to the floor. He breathed heavily, the double kick having really knocked the wind out of him. Not to mention the area was just generally throbbing because Howard levied all of his attacks at his upper body. Hunter reached up, grabbing onto a chair for support as he pulled himself to sit on his knees.

Lifting his head at the sound of movement, Hunter spotted Howard preparing to run at him. He was getting a very slow start to it and telegraphing his next steps way too much, though. Hunter stayed just as he was, pretending as if he saw nothing and couldn't do anything about it even if he had.

Howard ran at Hunter, intending to tackle him. At the last second, Hunter somewhat stood up, extending his arm and catching Howard across the throat.

The sound of the impact was sickening, even to Hunter. Howard dropped to the ground and landed on his back, with his arms out at either side of his body.

Howard coughed and winced before closing his eyes. "Uggggh," he moaned, resigning himself to not bother attempting to sit up just yet. He lay there for a good few seconds, hoping that the pain would pass. His eyes snapped open when he suddenly felt a pressure on his chest.

Hunter stood above him, his giant foot pinning his brother to the floor. His nostrils were flared back, conveying that he was still incredibly pissed off. Hunter crouched down above Howard, wanting to make sure that the little shit believed every word he was about to say. He lifted his right arm, pointing his index finger directly in Howard's face. "You stay the hell away from my family, you hear me? I never want to see you again."

Howard gulped, and quickly winced. Distantly, he wondered if Hunter had actually injured his neck, throat or something. It sure as hell felt like it, given that everything hurt. But, he nodded his head once, acknowledging that he'd heard Hunter's wishes.

Hunter stood up fully and glanced around at the somewhat shocked bar patrons. Someone interrupted the tense moment with a cough and finally everyone began scattering about the establishment again, as if nothing happened.

Slowly and obviously wounded, Hunter made his way to the bar. His hazel eyes and his tone sounded anything but apologetic. He was too angry and right now that was the dominating emotion. But he still had a sense of morality. Gingerly, he reached in his back pocket and pulled out a wad of money. It was perhaps around three hundred. Maybe less. He tossed the bundle to the owner, Rick.

"That should cover the damage," he told him curtly.

Rick grabbed the cash and flipped through it. He gave Hunter a satisfactory nod. "That'll do it." He jerked his head towards the direction Howard was lying in. "Your twin comes here a lot. He's an asshole," he informed Hunter before going back to wiping down the bar.

* * *

><p>Stephanie paced the floor of her and Hunter's bedroom, anxiously. In the couple of hours she had alone, she'd made some decisions. Reached some conclusions, using the solitude. The priority was to tell Hunter about the shit with Howard. After they'd had it out over that, she intended to transition into discussing whatever else was going on between them currently. Which would…well, lead to what would probably become another argument.<p>

An argument where, damn it, they would be completely real and honest with each other. She simply couldn't continue on this way. Being "careful" with each other. Because they weren't, really. She could see the tension in his features when he wanted to disagree with her, but bit his tongue. She could feel the weight on her chest while she also held herself back. It was fake and phony and would eventually make them both miserable.

It just wasn't them and she'd had enough of it. Even if he tried to leave her presence after the Howard talk, tonight she'd corner him and let everything out. If he did the same, this should help them make progress.

After all…Hunter, cornering her on an elevator at work six years ago had been one of the major turning points in that particular reconciliation.

They'd scream. She'd cry. Hell, he may cry, too. They'd probably hurt each other's feelings. Which was fine as long as they were honest. Currently they were hurting each other anyway, even though no one would admit to it out loud.

For once, she'd make him stay and have it out with her all the way. No one would be storming off unless it was simply to go downstairs or to the backyard. He wasn't going to run out and leave shit unresolved, only to come back, be apologetic, but still not address the issues.

They'd been there and done that, several times over. She was through with that method of operating their marriage.

Her shoulders tensed at the rumble that the opening of the downstairs garage created. "Here we go," she muttered aloud.

Should she meet him downstairs? No, too many sharp objects there, she decided immediately. To quell her anxiety she took a seat at the edge of their lake-sized bed and listened to the sound of his footsteps coming up the stairs.

Now, the footsteps were from down the hallway.

And now…

"STEPHANIE, WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?" He asked, on the verge of a shout before he appeared in the doorway.

Stephanie blinked in shock. Okay, they weren't necessarily on the best of terms right now. But they'd been handling it rather passively. So what gave with the attitude and the yelling? He was perfectly fine when he'd left her not more than a couple of hours ago.

He came closer to her and she forgot about her topics of conversation once she noticed the state of him. A nasty bruise was forming under his left eye, his blue t-shirt was completely filthy and covered in God knows what substances. His fists were clenched at his sides and as she approached him quickly, she noticed that his knuckles were cut up.

She reached out and gingerly touched the area surrounding the bruise on his face. "Hunter, what-" she trailed off and quickly stepped back. That's how surprised she was at how he grabbed her arm and wrenched her hand from his face. With wide, shocked, blue eyes, she appraised his features. He was…more pissed off than she'd seen him in a while. Angrier than these recent fights they'd had, even. A lump formed in her throat because she had a good feeling as to what he was about to bring up and/or accuse her of. And because she knew that her prolonged silence on the issue made her look and feel guilty.

Hunter's chest heaved, but he didn't come any closer to her or do anything else threatening. "I want the fucking truth, Steph," he said lowly…a direct contrast to the rest of his body language. "Did you and that bastard I'm related to, almost have sex?"

Even though she saw this coming, her mouth still parted and most coherent thoughts left her. "I…I…fuck…I-"

Hunter held up a hand to silence her stammering. "It's a yes or no question!" He said through clenched teeth. Her inability to just say no, pretty much gave him his answer. But he still wanted to hear her say it.

Stephanie raked her hands through her hair in frustration. The tears were already welling in her eyes. It wasn't that simple; it wasn't black and white. It wasn't what he thought, but he wasn't going to accept her reasoning first. He just wanted the clear, raw answer. But she didn't want to do that because there was a good chance he wouldn't listen to a damn word she said afterwards. "Let me explain," she halfway begged.

Now, he did come closer to her. With each step he took forward, she instinctively moved backwards. Until finally she was literally against the wall. "I DON'T NEED ANY EXPLANATIONS! I JUST NEED YOU TO ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION! Yes or no: did you try to fuck my brother?"

Lowering her head in a unique blend of shame and defeat, she said, "Yes."


	45. Saying Sorry

Stephanie didn't know what to expect here. Hunter was a little volatile when he was this upset. Deep down inside, she knew that he would never lay a hand on her, with the intention of harming her. Except for the time he thought she'd faked a pregnancy. Even then, all he could bring himself to do was push her and he'd only gone that far because she was screaming and ranting directly in his face.

So…maybe she shouldn't do either of those things at the moment. Staying quiet and waiting to see what would happen was probably the better option. Her mind had processed this with an astoundingly rapid pace, as soon the word "yes" had unwillingly left her lips.

Hunter's hazel eyes had grown considerably darker than they had been earlier today. Tension and anger radiated from each of his handsome features as he stared at her. He dragged a hand over the top of his head and down over his ponytail. He pulled the band off, and somehow in the same moment that his blonde locks cascaded over his broad shoulders, his fist shot out, right past her head.

The vibration of his blow against the wall radiated throughout their room. The deafening sound combined with how close he'd been to punching her, caused Stephanie to cower instinctively, even as he walked away from her. Visibly shaken up, she swallowed hard and turned her head slightly, blue eyes tracking over to the indentation that he'd made.

Now he was on the other side of the room entirely and his body language screamed that he was still pissed...but her concern outweighed her fear so she took a couple steps in his direction, intending to check on his hand.

"HOW THE FUCK COULD YOU DO THAT TO ME?" He yelled as he turned around to face her again. "I've tried so hard to make us work and you go and hook up with THAT fucking asshole?" He asked as he began to pace the floor in front of her.

"I'M SORRY!" She yelled right back at him, feeling her eyes burn with tears again. "IT WASN'T-"

Hunter stopped short and raised both of his eyebrows. "You're _sorry_?" He asked and waited a beat, watching as Stephanie nodded her head eagerly. "Sorry doesn't fucking cut it when you try and cheat on me, with my own damn brother, no less!"

"But it wasn't my fault!" Stephanie said in her defense. She sighed in frustration when Hunter held up a hand to cut her off.

Hunter drew his bottom lip in, chewing on it for a moment. Given its prior volume, his voice was actually quite low and calm. "We were still getting over you _thinking _I'd cheated on you…and then you and Howard go and pull all this shit?"

"Hunter, I-" she started, on the verge of a desperate explanation.

He ignored her and continued with his thoughts. "Between the two of you, I've had enough backstabbing bullshit. I'm outta here."

When Hunter actually turned away from her and began to walk away, something inside of Stephanie shifted. She'd promised herself that the two of them would stay put until they worked this shit out. And she was going to keep that promise, even if her husband wasn't inclined to help her do so. She rushed past him until she reached their bedroom door. She slammed it shut before he could get to it and turned around to meet his gaze.

"Like hell you are!" She finally said in response to his declaration of leaving.

At his sides, his hands clenched into fists. Stephanie was playing with fire here. His body ached pretty much all over, thanks to his vicious fight with Howard. Every time he talked, it somehow made the bruise under his eye hurt. Every movement tweaked either his ribs or his back. His knuckles had already been stinging. But now his entire right hand just ached, on top of that, from punching a hole in the fucking wall. He was in absolutely no mood to be dealing with more drama this evening.

Leaving was for the best. Stephanie was usually intelligent, so he hoped she'd see that. "I'm gonna tell you this once, Steph: open that damn door. Now."

Defiantly, she shook her head. To further prove her stance on the matter, she pressed her back up against the door, effectively blocking it.

"Do you think I'm fucking playing with you right now? Huh? Move away from that goddamn door! I'm warning you…"

Stephanie shrugged. "What're you gonna do, Hunter? Hit me?" She asked, showing not even an ounce of fear. "Go right ahead; that's the only way I'm letting you get past me. And if you'd really do that, then you're not the man I thought I married."

At her words - her dare, practically - Hunter stopped advancing towards her. His fingers relaxed from the fists he'd had them curled into. Something about hearing her verbalize the potential of him putting his hands on her got through to him. Hitting her hadn't crossed his mind at all…though he did know that he was so pissed off and hurt that even he didn't know what he'd be capable of. He'd thought of maybe using his strength to pick her up or kinda muscle her out of the way.

But now that she'd thrown out an alternative he didn't at all find viable onto the table, he wasn't even going to do that. His nose scrunched up in annoyance. "I'm not gonna hit you…Jesus Christ, Steph!"

Stephanie nodded her head to acknowledge his comment. But she still didn't relax her position on the door. Their exchange seemed to have calmed him down the slightest bit. She needed to use the opportunity to explain herself. And she had to do it quickly, before he shut her out again. "I thought Howard was you!"

"What? Out of all the explanations in the world, that's what you go with?" Even he had to let out an incredulous laugh at the very unlikely scenario. He and Howard literally acted nothing alike. Further, he'd said that the incident took place in this very house. It made no sense that she'd confuse the two of them, considering Howard didn't live with them.

"It's the truth! The day I got back from the business trip," she reminded him. "I was expecting you to come home shortly. I heard the door, so I went downstairs to start the dance I'd planned. I saw…what I_thought _was you sitting on the fucking couch, just hanging out."

Hunter's mouth parted in shock, before he regained enough composure to actually form words. "So you fucking _stripped_ for him? And at no moment did you realize it was Howard? You've been married to me for almost a decade and you know I've got an identical twin. How could you be so stupid, Stephanie?"

Now, she felt her own anger beginning to surface. With more than a bit of attitude, she said. "I mean, _maybe _if you'd told me you'd given that son of a bitch our house key I'd have thought twice about it. But you didn't; so I didn't. If anybody in that situation was stupid, it was you."

"So now I'm stupid?" He asked, gesturing to himself. "I'm not the one who went through an entire dance routine not noticing I was giving it to the wrong person. Maybe the next time you decide to role-play, you'll make sure you're playing with the right fucking guy!"

"Go to hell!" Stephanie replied with just as much irritation as he was conveying. For the next few moments she was silent, then finally took a deep breath. Yelling at him about this wasn't going to get them anywhere. Explanation was the key here. "You can try all you want, but it wasn't my fault that that happened. Yes, I feel bad about it," she clarified upon seeing his eyes flash in anger again. "And-and maybe I should have paid closer attention or something. But I didn't because sometimes the way you look at me is distracting…in a good way. I really wanted to make it through the majority of the song before I had to have you – so I purposely didn't look at you…or…what should have been you, very much."

Abruptly, Hunter asked, "How far did it go?"

"Huh?"

"How far did things get between you two?"

Stephanie sighed and rubbed the back of her neck for a moment. "I'm not sure it's such a good idea to go into details," she replied hesitantly.

"Howard and I just beat the shit out of each other. I left the douche laying on the floor of a bar, mostly for calling you outta your name. I wanted to know how far he got, so I know how pissed off I should be," he explained. "Since you won't tell me, I'm gonna take that to mean that things barely missed going all the way. So I'm gonna get in my truck, drive back to that bar and kick his ass some more!"

"Hunter, no!" Stephanie pleaded. If he'd done what he said, it was a miracle he was able to walk out of the bar of his own accord, rather than in handcuffs. Returning to the very same scene, to cause more bodily harm to his twin certainly wouldn't do him any favors in the freedom department. She couldn't have him being arrested, on top of everything else that was going on. She stepped forward to plant one hand on his chest. She pushed against him, though she knew that if he truly wanted to, he could shove her out of the way with no problem whatsoever. "After the dance routine…I…did a bit of a lap dance. And then I started kissing him. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something felt very off. I was trying to figure out why that was and that's when the light bulb went off and I realized it was Howard and not you. He was trying to push me to lie down on the couch but I made him stop. I slapped him, he tried to persuade me to continue and we argued a little, but I made him leave. That's everything that happened, I swear it is."

Hunter's posture didn't relax and he didn't back farther away from the door. He still looked fairly angry, but at least he wasn't yelling again. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want this," she said pointedly, gesturing between the two of them, "to happen."

"Fuck that, Steph! This wouldn't have happened if _you _had been the one to tell me! You should have told me what happened the very moment I got home that day!" He said sternly, even pointing his finger to further drive his statement home to her.

"Hunter, I planned to. I really did. But…I don't know…you were so genuinely happy to see me. And you hadn't looked at me that way since the first mix up. It felt like we had just fixed things and I wanted us to enjoy that for at least one afternoon."

"I get that, I do. But do you have any idea how foolish you've made me look? Forget the fact that I'd already be pissed at the shithead pretending to be me, feeling you up and shit. But on top of that, we've been hanging out and learning stuff about how we grew up. You think I would have continued trying to be cool with him, knowing what he tried to do with you?"

"I'm – well I wasn't sure..."

Hunter stared at her incredulously, saying nothing. He was waiting for the punch line, or a break in her serious façade. But it never came and after half a minute, he got tired of waiting. "Are you screwing with me right now? Huh? The man tried sleeping with you, in our damn house and you had to wonder whether or not I'd have kicked his ass back then?"

"Most of our recent fights somehow involved him. You seemed perfectly ready to take his side each and every time. So, no I wasn't sure what to expect from you."

Now, he did finally step back. He poked his tongue out a little bit, wetting his bottom lip. He honestly couldn't believe that Stephanie was completely serious with what she said and thought about this fuckery with Howard. Even when their marriage was hitting horribly rocky spots in those first couple of years, he never dealt well with people openly hitting on her. Random fans he could ignore, but he couldn't do that to people that they saw on a somewhat regular basis. Howard would definitely have fit into the latter category, except for the fact that Hunter had the power to break that bond anytime he so desired.

Attempting to trick Stephanie into having sex with him? Definitely a cause for Hunter to put a boot to his ass, literally and figuratively. Furthermore, he'd long since apologized for his words and behavior, regarding siding with Howard's woman-hating bullshit. He thought that they were pretty much past that, now that Stephanie understood why he'd been doing and saying the things that he had. But maybe he thought wrong.

But instead of saying any of that, something else came out of his mouth instead. "I'm gonna take a shower," he decided.

Stephanie watched after him in silent confusion as he stalked into the bathroom and closed the door. She didn't hear a lock click, but she wouldn't dare attempt to join him right now. It was clear to her that he hadn't finished saying everything that was on his mind. But at this point, she wasn't going to press the issue at this very moment. Not when he'd calmed down considerably. Maybe the shower would help clear his head some more. She took a seat at the edge of the bed, letting her mind wander in a hundred different directions while she waited for him to emerge.

Around twenty minutes later, she heard the door click. She turned her head towards the bathroom just in time to see Hunter emerge. He was only wearing a pair of boxers, but that wasn't what had her eyes practically jumping out of their sockets. In addition to the bruise forming under his eye – which now seemed angrier than it had half an hour ago – there were a couple forming in the area of his ribs and chest.

Dismissing the fact that things were still unresolved, she immediately got up and went over to him. Her blue eyes were full of concern as she eyeballed the areas critically.

"It looks worse than it feels," he told her, taking a step back because he anticipated her next move.

"Just shut up, will you?" She asked, although it was really much more of a command.

Hunter rolled his eyes, sighing in defeat as she lifted her hands to his torso.

Soft, slender fingers pressed lightly against his ribcage, feeling all around to make sure there were no protrusions or dents. He hissed a little bit when she touched a particular spot. "I don't feel a break…but you should ice this as soon as possible."

"I did; that's why I took so long in there. I used one of those instant cold packs."

"All right," she said, nodding in approval. "Stay here while I get something to wrap your hand and your ribs."

"That's unnecessary," he told her quickly.

"I fucked up big time by not telling you about the mix up…and now you're hurt because of it. Let me help. Please?"

Another sigh was his reply as she disappeared around the corner and into the bathroom. He seriously felt like he didn't need to be wrapped up like some kind of mummy. During his wrestling career he'd certainly suffered far worse than this. And…well, yeah Stephanie always wanted to tend to him. And yes, he never let her do so without protesting at least a little bit.

Tonight was different, though. His wounds were way less serious and he knew he'd be fine within a couple of days. Quite simply, he just didn't have the mental or emotional energy to go back and forth with her about it. She felt like shit and so did he. What was the point of making either of them more stressed out?

Stephanie reappeared and made quick work of dabbing his hand and knuckles with hydrogen peroxide and ointment. Next, she bandaged up his right hand, leaving only his fingertips exposed. To hold everything together, she used a binding clip.

Hunter lifted his hand to examine her work. He flexed his hand, surprised to find that it wasn't as restrictive as he assumed it would be. "Not bad," he complimented. "You may proceed with that," he allowed, gesturing to the ace bandage she'd placed on the bed.

Stephanie cracked a small smile, reaching over to grab the material. She wrapped it around the area a few times, making sure it would provide compression, without cutting off his damn circulation. Years spent watching trainers try to help wrestlers after they'd banged themselves up had certainly taught her a thing or two. Having used the only binding clip in sight, for his hand, she simply tucked the end of the wrap. "Done," she announced.

"Thanks," he said, glancing down at her again. "Look, for what it's worth, I'm sorry I gave Howard a key and didn't tell you. I was wrong...But you were wrong for keeping what happened from me."

Stephanie averted her stare to the floor momentarily. "I know I was and I'm sorry."

Hunter nodded, shifting his feet awkwardly. "Well…goodnight."

Furrowing her brow in confusion, Stephanie asked, "Huh?"

"I'm sleeping downstairs tonight."

"Why? You don't have to do that."

"I kinda do," he disagreed. "I don't know if Howard's gonna try to retaliate and he's still got our house key. I'll call someone to change the locks in the morning."

"Oh," she said softly. That sounded like a very valid explanation for him wanting to sleep downstairs. But something about his demeanor said to her that safety wasn't his entire motive. "Is that the only reason?"

"I don't really wanna talk about it anymore tonight. And it's something that you're gonna need to think about by yourself."

"I don't want this to fester...but I'll respect your wishes," she agreed, although she was a bit worried about how cryptic and vague he was being about it.

Hunter took a deep breath and tried not to wince at the ache he felt due to the action. "All I'm willing to say about it right now is that what I've always needed from you, Steph…is for you to trust me with your whole heart."

"I _do _trust you with my heart. You're the only one I've ever trusted with it, Hunter."

Hunter shook his head to disagree with her. "You trust me with the parts you're not afraid I'll break. And this didn't happen during the couple of separations we had. It's always been that way. Yeah, maybe I just now figured out how to put it in words and all but that doesn't make it any less true. And I can't prove you wrong when I can tell that you're banking on me screwing up."

Stephanie threw an arm out to the side and allowed out to thud against her thigh. "I'm not really sure what you want me to say here. It's unfortunate that you feel that way, but I don't agree with you."

Hunter shrugged casually and said, "Fair enough."

For some reason, his nonchalance just irritated her. Why would he throw out such an accusation only to treat it as if it meant nothing at all? If he didn't care, he shouldn't have brought it up. Especially since he was totally, completely, one-hundred percent wrong. Really, how many times _had _he screwed up and she just welcomed him right back? If he didn't have her heart, she probably would have cut her losses several years ago. But for better or worse, there was no part of her that didn't belong to him. It was infuriating that he seemed to think otherwise. "You can't just try to magically predict my thoughts and feelings, you know."

Instead of responding to her brewing insult, Hunter gave her a slight, lopsided smile. He turned and walked out of their bedroom door, deciding that he'd leave her with her own statement as a final thought. Especially since that was his entire point – that Stephanie often wasn't very open with either of those things. Not unless they were in some fight or she needed to vent. But just on a day to day basis? There were just some parts of her that not even he seemed to have access to. He could never put his finger on it, until this very conversation. In the last few years he'd made great strides in trusting and being more open with her. And she hadn't really done the same. In the beginning of their relationship, he didn't notice, given that she was as closed off and wary as he was.

But that wasn't the case anymore. He felt like he'd done more than his fair share to prove to her that she and their marriage meant everything to him. He just didn't feel that he'd ever received the same from her.

* * *

><p>*wearing a halo, here*<p> 


	46. Perfection

With a heavy sigh, Stephanie rolled her neck from side to side in an attempt to alleviate the soreness. Today had been far from perfect.

Hunter was still barely speaking to her and to make matters worse, her father made her work overtime. She was salaried, so she supposed it wasn't overtime exactly...more like just giving her a list of things he wanted done before she left, that'd cause her to go home later than her usual time. Four hours later than her usual, to be exact.

And once she was off, naturally there just had to be all possible manner of fuckery holding up street and freeway traffic. Currently, it was after nine and she knew her kids would be sleeping. So much for spending time with her little family tonight. Now she was left only to interact - alone - with the man who helped her create said family. The man she loved more than she could have ever imagined. The man she'd had an instant, undeniable chemistry with from the moment they met. The man she'd built her life with.

The man who had slept on the couch last night, despite the locks to the front door being changed earlier in the day.

Hell, he'd basically been avoiding her ever since their argument. That's why she'd looked forward to tonight...he couldn't outright check out on her while the kids were present. But now that safety net was broken, thanks to work and traffic.

"Great," she muttered lowly, entering the house through the kitchen door. She wasn't sure if she was surprised or not, to find the area dark and empty. It was another sign that she was still in the doghouse where it concerned her husband. Normally, if Hunter knew she'd be late getting in, not only would he check on her to make sure she was okay, but he'd also leave a light on so that she wouldn't go tripping into counters and whatnot. The absence of both of those actions spoke volumes.

She passed by the living room, seeing no sign of him there. It was on the grand, spiraling staircase that she finally spotted him, pillow and covers in hand. They both stopped where they were and gazed at each other, clearly uncomfortable. Stephanie mustered up what little optimism she had left and began heading up the stairs. "Hi!" She said brightly as they met each other on the midway landing of the staircase. She leaned forward in an attempt to peck him on the lips but Hunter turned his head, making her kiss land along his jaw instead.

"Hey," he greeted neutrally.

Well, she had planned to ask about his day and basically be sweet and romantic to try to get him to open up a little. But now her feelings were further hurt from his rejection, on top of her already being completely exhausted physically and mentally. "You're sleeping downstairs again?" She asked, gesturing to the evidence right in front of her.

Hunter shrugged. "Why ask a question you know the answer to?"

"Maybe because I want a different answer?" She tried.

"You can't always have what you want, Princess," he told her curtly. He resumed his descent of the stairs, intending to effectively end their brief conversation.

Stephanie stayed put for a few moments, hands on her hips. She knew she had a lot of making up to do...she'd known that well before he found out what she'd kept from him. But how the hell was she supposed to do that when he wouldn't even give her a chance?

Hunter's bare feet slapped against the marble floor as he reached the end of the stairs and padded his way over to the couch. He threw down the stuff in his hands.

_To hell with it_, Stephanie decided. Things certainly couldn't get any worse, so she turned around and followed him into the living room. "This is crazy, Hunter! How long do you plan to sleep down here?"

"Don't know," he answered.

What, were they simply going to be roommates now? Was their usual way of sharing life together, totally out of the question now? "You do realize that talking is the only way we're gonna fix what's wrong between us, right?"

Silence.

God, talking to him was like talking to a brick wall sometimes. She _just _got home and was already getting frustrated at his lack of response to her. He continued to arrange his covers and ignore her while she began to simmer with anger, behind him. Wedging herself between him and the couch, she grabbed his arms to still his movements. "Hunter, talk to me!" She bit out irritably. When she got nothing out of him, she breathed deeply to calm down. She lowered her voice and tried a different approach. "I know that what I did...or _didn't_ do was wrong. Okay? I know that. So...hog the covers in bed, yell at me...or...or something. Just don't shut down on me. Please?"

Hunter stared behind her, at the front door. Talk to her? He was finding it difficult to even be in the same room as her. And it wasn't because she smelled delightful and looked beautiful as always. It certainly wasn't because he was resisting his natural urge to try to make her feel better. It was because he had never felt so...betrayed by any one person in his entire life. And given his history that was truly saying something.

"Look at me," She commanded, grabbing his chin, the surprise of her action actually forcing his eyes to connect with hers. Pensive blue eyes scanned hazel ones, noting obvious annoyance…but also sadness. Sadness that she was more than likely responsible for, unfortunately.

"Look at you? Talk to you?" Hunter asked. "Stephanie, I honestly want to stay at a hotel. The _only_," he said with much emphasis, "reason I'm here is because of the kids. I don't want them to freak out over something we may eventually move past."

"Something we _may_ move past?" She repeated for clarity. Although she was certain she'd heard him just fine. "You have doubts?"

Taking a step back from her, Hunter rubbed his hands over his face. He didn't want to talk about this tonight. But it was obvious neither of them would be getting any sleep until it was all out there. That had more to do with his wife's preferences, rather than his. What he wanted didn't matter because here she was, literally blocking him from getting settled for the night. "You're the only person that knows about the hell I've been through in my life. You're the only person I trusted enough to tell...I've given you everything I can think of, everything I have and it just...doesn't mean anything to you, Stephanie," he concluded, throwing an arm out to the side.

"It does! Hunter, everything you've done means the world to me, I promise you! I'm...I'm sorry I've made mistakes and-"

"Mistakes?" He interrupted with a bitter laugh. "You made decisions. You thought about every single thing you did, beforehand. With the pills, with Howard, you thought about whether or not to tell me the truth and you chose not to."

"But I'm sorry!"

Hunter held out a hand to keep her from continuing to plead her apologies. Quite frankly, what was the point of letting her go on? Clearly her apologies were insincere. That or she just had an inability to change her ways or see things from his perspective. He wasn't sure which one it was to be quite honest. "Steph, when you got that cut," he began, gesturing towards the scar Andrew had made on her skin six years ago, "you let it heal. You didn't pick at it and stuff. Did you?"

"No, I didn't," she confirmed. Furrowing her eyebrow, she thought about the metaphor that he was trying to get at. That her omissions had cut him and only time would heal the wounds? "So you're saying I should just leave you alone for a bit...that that'll fix things?"

Ignoring her question for a moment, he continued with, "And I didn't poke your cut with a knife, say sorry and then do the shit again...You know my weaknesses, things I struggle with, things that still haunt me... And yet you keep doing things to make it worse."

_Shit, _she thought, feeling more anxiety wash over her. "I don't mean to..."

"But you do! Steph, you don't seem to understand that the things you do hurt me," he theorized out loud. And it wasn't a completely unfounded theory. During their separation six years ago, a large part of why they had so much difficulty getting back to normal was that Stephanie had no idea he'd been hurting also. The thought hadn't even crossed her mind. Maybe that hadn't changed very much, even after all of this time together. He didn't quite see _how _she could go back to the assumption that he never felt pain where she was concerned. Maybe she was just incapable of seeing beyond her own feelings. "You don't trust or rely on me for anything and clearly I can't trust you to be honest."

"Hunter I'm sorry! Okay? I'm sorry that I hurt you. Again," she added. "I really don't mean to...but what are you even talking about that I don't rely on you for anything? I count on you for lots of stuff...I mean...love, support, comfort, helping to raise our children right. I can go on all night if you want..."

"You say that...but I don't feel it. I never have, Steph," he admitted. It seemed silly to trudge up old, minor situations where these feelings came up. So he'd go with the most recent and – if you asked him – most glaring example. "I mean the way you just kicked me out of your life, our kids' lives when you thought I cheated on you? You were perfectly fine doing everything alone; I had to take the initiative to be able to be involved."

"Is…is that what you thought?" She asked in partial disbelief. "That I was just..." She waved her hands around randomly, looking for a description, "goddamn Wonder Woman or something?"

At his shrug, she realized that's exactly what he thought. And well, maybe her behavior hadn't provided him with any alternative reasons for her cutting him off. She'd fix that in the next few moments, she was certain. Truth be told, she was hardly functional during their separation. Maybe that was pathetic, but it was a fact.

"When you said you loved me, right before you left? I said it back, after you'd gone out. I sprinted down the damn stairs just in time for your truck to pass by and I said it then," she admitted. "I…I cried until my eyes hurt, drank myself into wine-oblivion and passed out on the couch. Okay?"

Hunter's eyes widened the slightest bit but he didn't say anything because it didn't look like she was finished just yet.

"Jack – our _six _year old son, woke me the next morning because I forgot I was gonna have to take the kids to school. By the time he got me up, he and the twins were ready to go. They were dressed, fed and everything. All I did was drive. And I barely did that right because I was a hungover mess. Jack was late…the twins were on time but their teacher and the entire class seemed to know I was breaking down. It was...it was horrible, those first couple of days with you gone. It got better when you called to help out but then it was even more difficult emotionally, being around you but not really being with you. I kept my distance and tried to go it alone because you'd hurt me."

He was still stunned at what she'd gone through during their separation…how she'd kept up this façade of being calm, collected and in control when she obviously was the opposite. But at her accusation of hurt, he opened his mouth, prepared to defend himself…because he hadn't done a damn thing to her.

Anticipating his interjection, Stephanie grabbed his hands and squeezed them reassuringly. "I know I did it to myself...I know now that it wasn't you that I saw...it was Howard. But I was hurt by you at the time, Hunter. Even if the whole thing did turn out to be a mix-up. It was easier for me to cut you off...and for our marriage and children, it was wrong, too. So...I don't know," she shrugged. "Go ahead and think I'm a coward, a weakling, an idiot, a drunk or whatever else...as long as you don't think I don't need you."

"You're not any of those things," he disagreed quickly. "Why didn't you tell me any of this before?"

Another shrug from her. "Shame?" She offered. "None of what I just said is gonna win me any awards for my relationship or mothering skills."

"I think you win by default…being the only real relationship I've had and the only mother the kids will ever have."

Despite the amused smile she cracked she still said, "That doesn't make me feel any better about it."

"So you screwed up? Big deal. I screw up, too. It's nothing to be ashamed about, to the point where you hide it from me entirely. I think that sharing our screw-ups will bring us closer. It's exhausting being married to perfection"

Taking his comment in an unintended direction just for kicks, she replied, "Well…we can't exactly give our good looks back," she pointed out. "But I agree. So from now on, you get the screwed up wife."

"Looking forward to it," he said genuinely, tracing the back of her hands with his thumbs.

Mildly awkward silence descended upon them in the moments following. This was a definite improvement from the last couple of days, actually, but they were certainly not one-hundred percent fine. Not just yet. She wasn't particularly upset about it…she hadn't set herself up for failure with the expectation that this one conversation would magically erase the problems they'd been dealing with. But it was a start and for tonight she was satisfied with that and wouldn't push for more. That might actually cause him to clam up on her again. "I know that you were heading to sleep soon," she began. "Honestly, I'm wiped out myself but we really did need to clear the air a bit."

"Can't argue with that."

She smiled gently at his agreement. "I realize that things are still…I don't know…"

"Tense?" He offered.

"Yeah, something like that. But it's better. Better than it has been for a couple of days, I think. Just so you know…your side of the bed is still totally vacant and waiting for you. I'm gonna head upstairs, but I'm not gonna pressure you to start sleeping with me again."

Hunter nodded, understanding that she was basically saying that he'd chosen to exile himself from their bedroom. This wasn't her choice and she didn't like it, but she accepted his decision. For now. "Appreciate it," he told her, pausing for a few moments while he reconsidered whether or not he'd be following her up. "Goodnight, Steph," he finally said.

Even though she'd verbally acknowledged the possibility that he'd still choose to sleep downstairs, he noticed the flash of hurt in her eyes before she blinked it away. Her hands slipped from his as she responded with a goodnight of her own.

* * *

><p>That chapter was for the list of the usual, encouraging suspects! Thanks for the motivation! Sorry it's been forever since I've updated this (and anything else for that matter, lol). Also thanks to the newanon reviewers...always nice to hear more feedback.


	47. Happily Ever After

Lauren Cunningham sat, listening astutely to her friend and former boss' life update. It had been _maybe _a month since the last time she caught up with Stephanie Helmsley. And apparently her life had begun to fall apart at the seams during such a seemingly short time. She missed the impromptu birthday party because she'd been out of town visiting her boyfriend and didn't have enough notice to have made other plans.

As it were, she'd already told Steph that she was going to take her out for dinner the Friday after her birthday anyway. So here they were, catching up. And here she was, entirely stunned by what she was hearing about: a separation, a drunkard twin, a dozen fights and horrible misunderstandings, meddling McMahons, drunkard twin coming on to his brother's wife, pissed off husband beating the hell out of his drunkard twin…and now another fight between the couple that led to Hunter sleeping on the couch downstairs for nearly a week.

"So…" Stephanie concluded, raising her wine glass in a slight toast. "How's _your _life?"

Lauren's dark green eyes blinked slowly as she pushed a stray piece of red hair behind her ears. "Umm…well, far less eventful than yours, thank God! Mostly work and school."

"And Ryan," Stephanie added in, with a knowing smile.

Blushing wildly, Lauren grabbed her wine glass and sipped slowly to regain some sort of composure. Otherwise she'd have giggled like a smitten teenager. "Heh. Yes…and Ryan."

"It's serious, this one," Stephanie observed out loud. In the five years that Lauren worked for her, they'd certainly become very close. Steph was often privy to details regarding the younger woman's family and romantic life. That increased even more once their working relationship was over, when Lauren began her master's program. She knew when Lauren saw long-term potential and when she didn't. And this guy was one she certainly fancied more than the others.

"It is,' Lauren confirmed. "I mean we're not planning on honeymoon locations or anything…but it's going really great."

Stephanie beamed at the elated, but still somewhat embarrassed redhead, reaching across the table to grab her hands. "You deserve the happiness, Lauren!" She reassured her.

"And so do you, Steph. I don't know Hunter's side of the story, obviously…or all the tiny details you're leaving out for the sake of time. But I know what I've seen for all these years: you two dorks love each other. And at the end of the day, that's really all that matters. So figure out what the hell is wrong, fix it and be happy again."

"Can't I just live vicariously through you, for relationship happiness?"

"No," Lauren said with a chuckle.

Letting out a wistful sigh, Stephanie picked up her glass and took a sip. She'd love nothing more than to do all of that – sort her fucking marriage out and get back to being happy. Every time she thought she knew what was wrong, some other problem presented itself. Or she did something and it unknowingly created a three-headed monster of a problem because Hunter subconsciously retaliated. Hell, it seemed like they'd barely _begin _fixing one thing before another issue stepped in to take the former's place. Considering the mess and how she was at a loss to fix this one, she decided to change to a more pleasant topic. "Did I ever tell you that the name Ryan was in my top five for my first pregnancy?"

"It was? I didn't know that."

"Yeah, since Hunter and I chose not to know the sex of the baby, we came up with names for both. I didn't actually give Jack his first name until I held him for the first time."

With a gentle smile, Lauren considered and then decided against pointing out the obvious. Although Stephanie was trying to change the subject, she still ended up mentioning Hunter. "Sounds like a beautiful memory between you and the hubby."

Stephanie nodded and glanced down at the table for a few moments. "We've had quite a few of those over the years."

"I'm sure you have. And the only way to make some more is to fix things," she reiterated.

* * *

><p>"And then what happened, Mommy?" Karmina asked. Both she and her sister were sitting straight up in bed, wide-eyed at Stephanie's story. So far, they'd learned of a princess who was the daughter of a ruthless king and benevolent queen. Even their Mom didn't know how the odd pairing came to be and she was the one who knew the tale. The princess had an older brother who'd somewhat rebelled from his father's control, but had managed to earn his respect rather than disdain. That left only the princess to focus on. Practically everything she ever did was carefully handpicked by her parents. They'd even tried to choose whom she fell in love with. On that note, the prince had tried to intervene for his sister, offering up one of his friends as a would-be suitor. But the Princess wasn't interested. She finally found a man she could tolerate and he began to court her. He was not of royal or noble blood, but he was kind to her. He wanted to rush into marriage but she really wasn't ready for it. Not with him anyway. Because during <em>that <em>courtship she fell in love with someone else. A fearsome warrior who had directly opposed her father's rule before.

They knew the king wouldn't tolerate the union and would demand that they break up…if he didn't arrange for harm to come to the warrior, that is. The warrior cared nothing about the king's desires, but he longed to make peace, for the sake of the princess.

"Then," Stephanie said, punctuating the word greatly. "They ran off together and got married."

Karmina squealed in delight, while Kaycee chose to ask, "What did the king do, Mommy? Was he mad?"

"Oh yes he was angrier than anyone had ever seen. He tried to break up the princess and the warrior but it didn't work."

"They lived happily ever after?" Both girls asked, clearly shocked. As mean as this old king sounded, they couldn't imagine how he let a rebellious daughter just run off with someone who was forbidden, without somebody paying for it.

Stephanie sighed a little bit as she moved off of the bed. Knowing what came next, the girls burrowed underneath their covers, anxiously waiting to hear the rest of the story. "Well, the king realized that he was wrong and gave his blessing. He saw that the warrior made the princess happy. As for them? They had three children; a boy and two girls. Their story is still being written, though."

Karmina and Kaycee nodded their understanding in unison. Stephanie waited for them to settle into comfortable positions before she pulled the covers up over them. Each girl received a kiss on the cheek before she shut off the main light. "Goodnight, mini-me's."

Delighted laughter followed before both girls said, "Goodnight, Mommy."

"I think the princess and the warrior are gonna live happily ever after," Karmina said to her mother's retreating form.

"Me too, Mommy! Just like you and Daddy," Kaycee added.

Pausing in the doorway, Stephanie couldn't bring herself to actually turn around and look at their expectant, innocent little faces. Happily ever after only happened in books, movies and fairy tales. Works of fiction. In real life, all stories were ongoing. During her marriage to Hunter there'd been ups, downs, lefts, rights, fucking _diagonals _and everything in between. But her daughters were too young to hear about such things. So she said, "I think so, too. Just like me and your Daddy."

Quickly, she made her way down the hallway to her own bedroom. She'd hoped to catch Hunter in there before he took off downstairs, but was unsurprised to find his pillow already missing. Sighing heavily, she walked back out into the hallway and headed down the staircase.

"I didn't think it was possible for you to alienate me even further. But I was wrong; apparently you've now also taken away the simple pleasure of being able to say goodnight to you."

"Steph, the drama…" Hunter sighed and rubbed at his temple. "Can we just _not_? Not tonight. I'm just setting up; I wasn't going to sleep just yet."

"So you were gonna come back upstairs?" She asked skeptically.

"Maybe," he commented without further elaboration.

Stephanie threw her arms in the air, completely frustrated. She knew good and damn well that he wouldn't have dragged himself back up simply to say goodnight to her. If he'd had any intention of seeing her again before they went to bed, he'd have just stayed in their room long enough for her to return from tucking the girls in. "I really don't know what to do. I mean I can't just stay away from you all day every day or we'll become even more distant. But I can't be…normal with you either because you're still so upset with me that we just…can't do that."

"Steph, I don't _want _you to stay away," he clarified.

"But you don't seem to want me around either," she said honestly. Taking a step closer to him, she placed a hand on his arm and pleaded with him. "So what the hell am I supposed to do, Hunter? I'm – I'm not trying to be a bitch or pressure you in any way. I'm just…I want to understand you," she said simply, even though she could feel the wetness gathering in her eyes already. It was pointless to try to stop it, she knew. "I-I want to understand what I'm doing wrong or…or what I could be doing differently."

"All right, all right. Hey, come here," Hunter instructed and gently reached out to pull her in for a hug. Stephanie instantly melted into the embrace, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and practically burying her head into his chest.

Great, now his inability to shut his feelings on and off like a light switch was bringing his wife to tears. He couldn't just pretend to be totally at ease around her again. But he definitely couldn't just continue to stand around keeping his distance from her while she went to pieces either. It was like being stuck between a rock and a hard place. He did love the woman immensely and supposed that made the decision to try to comfort her just a little bit easier. He gave her a couple of minutes to settle down before he pulled back and pressed a kiss into her hair.

Stephanie sighed and burrowed herself further into her husband. "This is nice."

"Yeah it is," he agreed. He rubbed her back in a soothing manner before asking, "Do you feel a little better now?"

"Yes; I like hugs."

Hunter's massive chest shook with his laughter. And while it was physically disrupting her relaxation, it calmed her down further. It had been way too long since she heard him laugh at something she said. Or since he laughed with _her _as opposed to laughing at something on the TV or that one of the kids had said.

"To answer your earlier questions: you're not doing anything wrong. This is kinda new for me, you know. The last time things were so topsy turvy with us, we lived apart."

Stephanie lifted her head, took a step away and frowned at him. "That's what you want…isn't it?" She asked. "You-you want to leave and just hope that our problems go away. But Hunter, I know they won't, we'll just end up divorced or-or something and-"

Hunter waved his hands frantically, trying to dissuade that assumption before she got herself worked up again. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Stephanie, no one is divorcing anyone."

"But if you leave me and go stay at some hotel or whatever… we won't solve anything, it'll just get worse."

"I'm sorry for what I said a few nights ago, Steph. I said I'd be staying at a hotel if it wasn't for the kids…and that was wrong. I never should have said that to you," he admitted. "I just meant that it was easier on both of us when you were in Stamford and I was here, while we tried to work things out. Like if you needed space to think, you could. If you got so upset or overwhelmed with our situation that you couldn't stand to be within 1,000 feet of me, you had that – that sanctuary of sorts. We were married, but technically just dating. We didn't see each other daily, so if you ever did relish the space and time to think, be mad or me or whatever, it didn't hurt my feelings because I never knew about it."

All right, so he did have a point. Actually, she'd lost track of how many times she'd been thankful to have her own place while they tried to reconcile. That still didn't mean it was a good idea back then. And it damn sure wasn't a good idea now. "Hunter, it may have been easier but that doesn't mean it was the right thing to do. If anything it's made us horribly unprepared for what it would be like when we have huge problems and are living together. Living apart saved me from having to deal with the fact that I was terrified of you. I was scared and I was screaming and running away with my arms flailing in the air, practically. I understand what you're going through because I've been in your position before. But we have to deal with this," she insisted. "I can tell you from experience that running away didn't solve a damn thing. It confused you, because you knew I still wanted to make us work yet there I was hiding from you. It stalled our marriage because I was content to stay in the dating stage…couldn't merge my life with yours because that was too scary. It put me and our child in danger because of Andrew. I could go on and on but I won't. Because this is the same situation when it comes down to it…only we've reversed our roles, we already live together and we've got three children instead of one baby bump."

Hunter nodded. "So you've been in my position, I get that. How did you get over it?"

That one was easy for her to answer. It required no thought whatsoever. "I saw how much you were trying to change, I saw how committed you were to making us be a family…I saw how much you loved me, Hunter and I stopped running."

"But it started with _me_. You saw what _I _was doing and it reassured you, correct?"

Stephanie's eyebrows drew together in legitimate confusion. That was true. But was that the point of this avenue of the conversation? Probably not. "Well, yeah…" she trailed off, not sure what he was getting at.

"Through all the bullshit we've been through these last few weeks, what have _you _done, Stephanie?" He ticked off the items by extending a finger for each action. "Besides offer to drive and stay with me at a hotel I was already staying at or buying me some apology fruit basket? Or putting together some strip tease that was ruined by the fact it was apparently a repeat performance of one you accidentally gave my twin? What else have you done except constantly say you're sorry and then turn right around and lie to me, hide things from me or…or whatever, just days later? Huh?" He asked her.

Hunter stared at her pointedly, as her silence spoke volumes. But she also looked like a wounded puppy at the moment. "Understand something, Steph. I _do _love you. There's no doubt in my mind about that, so I don't want there to be doubt in yours, either."

"And do you doubt me when I tell you that I love you?" Stephanie cut in abruptly.

"No. I doubt what love means to you."

Mouth agape, she shook her head slowly. "How can you even say that to me?"

"Because it's how I feel. I can't tell if love is just something you see as a hobby, an accessory or just as a means for raising kids."

Stephanie raked a hand through her hair and looked at the ground separating them. Anything to distract herself from the horrible turn this conversation had taken. Maybe she should have left him the hell alone tonight. If he wanted to isolate himself downstairs, that was his right. The house belonged to him as much as it did to her. If she'd kept her ass upstairs, this little chat probably never would have happened.

But no…her stubbornness had dragged her down the stairs and forced her to needle him. And now that he'd said what he had, it couldn't just be ignored. "I can't believe I'm hearing this…"

"You need to hear it because it's wrecking this marriage at its foundation. I know that I'd do absolutely anything that was within my power, to prove my love for you. I don't think that you would…and I'm not sure if it's because you'd be afraid to surrender your control in that way or because you just don't love me the way that I love you."

There. That was it. That was everything he'd wanted to say to her the night that he found out about Howard. It may have been what he'd wanted to say throughout the course of their entire marriage, but he couldn't be sure. Having these recent problems was definitely an eye-opener. Shit that he'd been repressing and ignoring was finally bubbling to the surface. Eating at his heart and mind on an all too consistent basis. He'd been putting off this conversation solely because once he told her how he felt, that made it real. It made _his _problem become _their _problem.

"When you held me and tried to comfort me just a few minutes ago?" Stephanie reminded him without lifting her eyes to his. "I took in everything about the moment, Hunter. The way you felt, the way you smell, and how it was to be lying against you while you laughed. I…I felt your heart beat…" she stayed quiet for the next few seconds, but finally lifted her eyes to his. Despite the trail of tears down her cheeks, there was also a fierceness that he hadn't seen in quite some time. "And all of that may sound strange, maybe even crazy. But I focused on that because I missed them so much. I miss going to sleep and waking up with you. I miss lying on your chest; I miss your arms, your lips. I miss every single fucking thing about you, no matter how big or small. And that's because even though we share the same address, we're not really sharing our home. It was easier, living separately before because then there was a damn good excuse for why I was crying myself to sleep and waking up alone. Not just 'well we're having difficulties so we're sleeping in separate parts of the house and avoiding each other as much as possible' or whatever this is. It was easier before, because I was numb at first. With this, my heart breaks a little bit more every single time you won't kiss me hello or goodbye. Every time I see you take your pillow and covers downstairs. Every time I'm going to be late and you don't leave the light on for me like usual. It may seem small to you. But it was all a stabbing reminder that you still hadn't forgiven me. Now it can just be a reminder that you really don't know if I love you or not. Even when you thought I fucking _faked _a pregnancy and then took off into the night, you never once questioned my feelings for you. This might be _the _most hurtful thing you've ever said to me."

"Steph I'm not doing any of this to…I – I don't mean to hurt you."

"But you do!" She finally exploded. "You still are. You can't help the way you feel and I don't know how to change that. We've both been tremendously hurt in our lives, long before we even got together. We were two broken people who managed to put it aside long enough to impulsively get married," she simplified. "At heart, we're still broken, Hunter…just at different times, under different circumstances and with different recovery times. But we both hurt. And hurt people, hurt people. We'll just keep spinning in circles on this merry-go-round of pain until someone finally falls off."

Hunter looked completely lost for a moment before he finally lifted his hands, palms up. "I can't apologize for how I honestly feel, Steph."

"And I don't expect you to. I guess I just expected that after nine years, three kids and everything else, you'd know better."

They stood there facing each other, with neither one knowing what to say. There was no apology to make on either end; they were both expressing their honest feelings.

Underneath her hurt, Stephanie was incredibly pissed off. Hunter was seriously questioning her love for him? It was ridiculous! If she didn't love him, she wouldn't bother with any of the bullshit they'd gone through in the last decade. Hell, as an heiress to her family's empire, there was probably a never-ending list of people who'd do whatever she asked, just for a chance at her. She wasn't being conceited; it was a fact. Her family's dealings were extremely public, so it wasn't an exaggeration when she said that a great majority of people recognized her if there were paying enough attention.

But she didn't want any of them. She wanted the tall, blonde-haired – and at this particular moment – moron standing directly in front of her. He was handsome and shirtless. And it was frustrating as all hell. If she didn't worry about marring him up, she'd throw something at him simply to let off some of her steam. Attempting to talk things out some more was probably going to result in the both of them ending up even more hurt. So she was done. "I'm going to bed," she announced, turning on her heel immediately.

"That's probably best," he commented lowly as he watched her walk away.

* * *

><p>... :-D<p> 


	48. Kiss Me Goodnight

"All right, all right!" Hunter yelled as he made his way down the stairs. Whoever was ringing the doorbell incessantly was seriously grating on his nerves. He'd been trying to get his kids set up with dinner, since their mother was going to be late getting home.

"Good god," he muttered as he went to unlock the door. If someone he couldn't stand was on the other side of it, he wasn't willing to promise that he wouldn't be rude.

Instead of continuing to scowl, his expression shifted into a lighthearted smile. "You almost got your ass kicked, ringing the damn doorbell like that."

Shane McMahon shrugged, slapping hands with his sister's husband as he walked into their house. "Yeah right. You still talk tough but we both know my sister and those kids of yours have turned you into a teddy bear," he chuckled.

At the mention of his absentee wife, it was an active fight to ignore the little twinge in his heart. Yes, one Stephanie Marie McMahon – now Helmsley – had indeed turned him soft in some ways. She got him to finally open up about his past, do whatever he could to show her that she was the most important thing in his life. And even before all of that? She'd gotten him to…cuddle. Cuddle, for god's sake! Back when they were unofficially dating and Stephanie was technically engaged. He hadn't made his intentions clear at the time because he didn't know what they were. He knew that he really enjoyed spending time with her; she had a brilliant mind but was down to earth despite the fact that she was out to ruin her parents. Her sense of humor was wicked and he just loved the sparkle in her eyes when she laughed. With her long eyelashes, dimples and full lips, a few seconds of pouting was all it took before he'd give in to whatever she wanted.

Even with all of that, he'd still tried to convince himself that he was hanging around her solely because of her plans. That the phone calls and shared meals weren't about getting to know her on a romantic level. He told himself that he just needed to gauge whether or not she'd screw him over once her family lay in ruins like she desired. He'd finally stopped lying to himself one night when she'd fallen asleep in his hotel room. After a late night session of plotting, they'd taken to flirting, joking and finally watching a movie on the couch. Stephanie had drifted off with her head propped up on her elbow. Hunter had carefully picked her up and put her in the bed. At first he thought he should sleep on the couch so she wouldn't freak out or anything. But as he turned to leave, he found himself staring at her while she slept and just couldn't find the will to move. He slipped into bed, but kept a good amount of distance between them.

That night, she'd gradually gravitated closer to him. He'd been keenly aware of her movements solely because he didn't want her to be uncomfortable or afraid of him when she woke up. Hunter distinctly recalled the exact moment he knew that he was in love with Stephanie. A little sigh had escaped her, right before she moved her hand so that it rested on his chest. At first he wasn't sure what to do; he was so overcome with a rush of feelings for her. But finally, he'd lifted his own hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. After that he'd pretty much given up trying to deny that this was solely about business.

Well, really the emotions had always been there. He'd just done a damn good job of ignoring, repressing and refusing to express them. The only reason he eventually told her anything was to stop her from marrying that idiot, Andrew. He'd still kept his past and most aspects about himself hidden from her. The only reason he was more open now was because it was basically a condition of his marriage. Not that it had done a damn bit of good, judging by where things with his wife currently were.

Stephanie had turned him into a goddamn teddy bear, while she remained exactly the same. Hunter frowned and pointed a stern finger at Shane. "I still _look _tough, too. Give me credit where credit is due."

"I'll give you that one," Shane amended.

"So what's up, man?"

"Nothing much. Had some business on this side of town and figured I'd pop by on my way out. What's up with you guys?"

"Just feeding the gang," Hunter said nonchalantly as they strolled towards the kitchen.

"A gang member is missing," Shane pointed out after a quick scan didn't turn up his baby sister.

"Uncle Shane!" Jackson practically yelled as he pushed away from the table. He ran towards his uncle, while Shane crouched down to his height. Jack threw his arms around his uncle's neck, almost fiercely.

"Hi Uncle Shane-O!" The twins piped in.

"Hey kiddo!" Shane greeted, ruffling the little boy's hair before returning the hug. He glanced up at Karmina and Kaycee, narrowing his eyes playfully. "How come I don't get this kind of welcome from you two?"

"We're hungry," Karmina explained.

"And Jack ran too fast, Uncle Shane!" Kaycee added.

Thoroughly amused, Hunter walked over to the table and pressed a kiss to each girl's cheek. "I love four-year old logic," he commented.

"Dad, can Uncle Shane come see my new baseball stuff upstairs?" Jack asked.

"Sure," Hunter said with a shrug.

Jack grabbed Shane's hand and practically dragged him up the stairs and to his room. Once they were past the door, Shane started laughing. "You've never been this eager to show me baseball stuff before."

In order to keep his word, Jack did indeed hold out his new bat and glove for his uncle to see. Hardly after Shane got a decent look at it, Jackson lowered his voice to a whisper. "I need your help."

"Okay," Shane said slowly. "With what?"

"Mommy and Daddy; they're really mad with each other."

"Why do you say that?"

"I heard them yelling and saying bad words. I – I think Mommy was crying and Dad slept downstairs…he's louder and I didn't hear him come back up."

"Man," Shane sighed. "When was this, kiddo?"

"Friday night," Jackson answered immediately.

Today was in fact Tuesday…it was possible that they'd worked things out over the weekend. It was also possible that pigs could be flying. Shane passed a hand over his short, dark hair. Of course _this _would be the situation he walks into when he decides to visit randomly. He knew that Stephanie and Hunter were going through some issues, but he didn't know the details. After years of them being together, he could just sense when something wasn't quite right. Generally, he stayed the hell out of it. And whatever they'd gone through over the years, the kids were always none the wiser. So this current problem was serious enough that they were fighting openly. The chance of that having been resolved already was slim to none. Especially given Hunter's lack of Stephanie-commentary.

A low rumbling told them that the woman in question was just getting home. Jackson scurried out of the room and down the stairs before Shane had a chance to say anything regarding his parents' fighting. Shane soon followed behind, in just enough time to see his sister enter through the kitchen. She squeezed the girls in somewhat of a double-hug before going over to her son and kissing his cheek.

Shane stayed put, not wanting his presence to be known yet. He watched as his sister glanced up at Hunter, before both of them looked elsewhere, clearly uncomfortable. Stephanie started to simply pass right by her husband, before thinking better of it. Hunter went to kiss her forehead…or something…while Steph was trying to throw an arm around his waist in an awkward hug of some kind. Who the hell did they think they were fooling? Jesus Christ. He didn't even need to hear the actual fighting or know the reason why, to see that they were extremely out of sorts. They looked like even the very presence of the other was causing stress.

"How was work?" Hunter asked, pulling out a chair at the table.

"Super busy," she answered, rolling her head around while she rubbed at a spot between her shoulders and neck. "How was your day?"

"Also busy," he answered.

Well, next Stephanie had planned to apologize for being home late, yet again. But that wasn't entirely true. Given how tense and weird this interaction was going, she kind of wished she'd had to be at work longer.

Shane couldn't take it any longer. This was so painful to watch it was making him actually cringe. "Hey."

Stephanie turned her head and her eyes lit up upon seeing her brother round the corner. "Shane!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around him in a hug. "What are you doing here?"

"Just passing through," he replied. Shane jerked his head towards the stove. "Got enough food for one more?"

* * *

><p>Shane waited downstairs while Hunter and Stephanie got the kids to bed. Within a few minutes, both parents returned to the living room to continue their visit.<p>

"Guys, I gotta get going soon, so I can see my own little ones off to bed."

Hunter and Stephanie both nodded, completely understanding. Stephanie plopped down in the chaise lounge while Hunter went and made himself comfortable on the loveseat.

Shane's brown eyes tracked back and forth between the two of them. Normally they'd be sitting next to each other, at the very least. Their physical distance was a direction reflection of their current emotional distance. It was a small blessing that the twins hadn't picked up on this yet. "I don't know what exactly is happening with you two, but you need to fix it."

Stephanie's eyebrows drew together in curiosity. "Why would you think something is going on?"

Shane rolled his eyes and put up a hand before his sister could try to play stupid. "Steph, I practically raised you so I don't know why you're bothering to pretend with me. I could tell just by watching you guys for five minutes. And even if I couldn't, your son told me."

Hunter's eyes widened. "What?"

"Well what do you expect when you guys are downstairs screaming and cursing at each other? The boy isn't deaf. He's also not stupid. He's figured out that Hunter is sleeping down here."

Stephanie's eyes locked with Hunter's and they both looked utterly ashamed of themselves. They'd been so caught up in their arguing that neither of them had paid much attention to how loud they were getting. This was a prime reason why they tended to send the kids to a relative's house when a serious discussion needed to be held. "Thanks for letting us know, Shane."

"That's all you have to say for yourself?"

"Well what do you _want _me to say?"

"That you'll do a better job of keeping your crap from affecting my nephew, maybe."

Stephanie gave her brother a heated stare, but her voice was the epitome of collected. "I never meant for him to overhear us."

"See that he doesn't again."

"Back off!" Stephanie practically seethed. "This is between me, Hunter and our kid."

"Can we all just…calm down?" Hunter interrupted the bickering siblings.

Stephanie stood up. "I'm not gonna calm down when he's sitting here judging me and telling me how to raise our son."

"Nobody's judging you, Stephanie," Shane told his sister as he also stood up. "This reaction of yours is nothing but guilt. I wouldn't even be involved if Jack hadn't come to me, begging for me to help you two. I'm just trying to get you to see how serious this is."

Hunter saw Stephanie take a step closer to her brother, no doubt about to make things worse. That famous McMahon temper was just about ready to spill over, from the looks of things. The only person that could tick Stephanie off faster than him was Shane. Hunter got up and put a hand on her wrist. "Just let it go, Steph," he told her. "His presentation was a bit crappy…but he's right."

Stephanie wrenched her arm away and cast her fierce blue gaze onto her husband. So now he was siding with her brother against her? That was rich. She was going to make a smart ass remark, but decided against it. It didn't really matter who sided with whom. What mattered was making sure their shit didn't screw up the kids. Inevitably, they'd have to have a serious talk with Jackson. "Fine," she told Hunter.

Reluctantly, she reached out to give her brother a hug. She stalked off towards the stairs without another word spoken.

The elder McMahon shook his head before slapping hands with his brother in law. "She's pissed," he commented.

Hunter glanced towards the staircase where his wife had disappeared. He nodded. "Without a doubt. You know how she hates to be told to do anything. You set yourself up for that one, man."

Shane grinned and shrugged a little bit. "I can't help it. I'll leave the clean-up for you, though!" He commented before heading right out of the front door.

"Thanks a lot, Shane. Piss your sister off and then bail."

Turning around to flash another grin, Shane held his hands up in apology. "It's what I do."

Hunter closed the door and headed upstairs. Upon reaching the second story of their home, he heard the slight creaking of a door. His head turned with just enough to see Jackson come wandering out in his pajamas. "You okay, son?"

"I want you to sleep in the room with Mommy," he told his father in the sternest voice he could muster.

Not having an immediate reply, Hunter instead started laughing at the directive. To get across how serious he was, Jack came behind his father and literally started pushing him towards the master bedroom. Of course Hunter was allowing it – the kid wasn't _that _strong. When they reached the room, Stephanie's head lifted. Before she could say anything, Jack moved to stand beside his Dad instead.

"What's going on?" Stephanie asked, seemingly perplexed as to why her son was standing with a very serious look on his face, while Hunter looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"Dad is sleeping in here tonight," Jack told her.

Stephanie bit down on her lip to avoid telling the truth: that it was Hunter who decided to exile himself to the living room. That tidbit wouldn't do anybody any good. In fact, it would just put Hunter in the hot seat, in front of her son. It wasn't something that a child should know. Already, he knew way more than the parents ever wanted. "Okay," she said simply.

Jackson nodded and turned his currently bluish green eyes to his father. "Dad?" He asked.

Hunter glanced over at Stephanie, who just shrugged at him. "All right," he said, looking back down at Jack.

"Mommy has to lay her head on you. And you have to put your arm around Mommy, too," the boy informed his father.

Hunter looked up at Stephanie and received another shrug. "Yes sir," he answered obediently. "Anything else?" He asked, cracking an amused smile. Leave it up to his child to try to force reconciliation between them. What's more is that the two of them were apparently going to comply with these demands.

Jackson rubbed his chin – which did not have a dimple as his mother's did. "You both have to promise."

"Promise," both parents said.

Jack nodded, satisfied with this outcome before heading back down the hallway to his own room. Hunter waited until he heard the door close, before he walked over to close his and Stephanie's.

Stephanie gestured towards the door. "What just happened?"

Hunter grasped his shirt at the hem, pulling it up over his torso and head. He walked towards the bathroom so that he could toss it in the hamper. "I think we were given marching orders by a six year old."

"I think we agreed to them, too," Stephanie said, shaking her head in puzzlement.

Hunter reappeared, now without pants. He was sporting a pair of boxers. "Oh yeah. In fact we promised."

"You're really doing this?" Stephanie asked as she rummaged through her drawers for what she wanted to wear. In all honesty, she figured that Hunter would probably lie out on the chaise rather than adhere to the conditions their son had set for them.

Hunter shrugged and pulled back the covers. "A promise is a promise," he told her simply. Quite frankly, he didn't make promises that he couldn't keep. Sleeping in the same bed wasn't going to kill either of them. Unless Stephanie reached her breaking point with their marital issues and decided to kill him in his sleep.

He climbed into bed first and got settled while he waited for Stephanie to change into something more comfortable. She appeared wearing boyshorts and a t-shirt. She stood by the bed and looked at him somewhat nervously. Hunter patted the empty space next to him.

Biting down on her lip, Stephanie got in the bed and pulled the covers up over them. She hesitated for a few moments before she shuffled over to Hunter, resting her head against his shoulder. After more hesitation, she lifted her hand and relaxed it on his chest.

True to his word, Hunter's arms came around her, securing her as usual. Neither of them said or did anything for the next minute. Even though this was a familiar way for them to fall asleep, it felt completely awkward at this very moment. Furthermore, the silence was deafening to Stephanie. "Is this okay?" She asked.

"It's…fine," he decided.

Stephanie adjusted so that she was propped up on her elbow and able to look at her husband. "You don't sound very convincing. And this still feels strange."

"It's not like we chose to do this tonight," he pointed out.

And of course, if given a choice in the matter he would be downstairs by himself at this very moment. Stephanie knew that and that was probably why she found it so difficult to truly relax. Still, she didn't bother to hide her disappointment when she replied, "No, we didn't. But we've done this a million times."

"I know. Things are just," he struggled to find the appropriate word. "I don't know, Steph. Different."

Oh, like maybe because he'd reached the asinine conclusion that she didn't love him? No, why on earth would that make things weird? "Hunter," she sighed. "You mean more to me than anything in this universe."

"I know that you care about me."

"But you don't know how much. You don't know if it's love, lust, infatuation, a crush or whatever else. I understand why we've been having so many problems lately. Hell, maybe this explains stuff from the past, too…I don't know. But of course you find it difficult to trust me when you're not even sure if my feelings for you are genuine."

Hunter stared at her silently, feeling that she was missing the connection. "I find it difficult to trust you because after I've opened up in every way I possibly can, you lie and hide things from me, Steph."

"Every time I've done something like that, it's been because I've been afraid that the truth will push you farther away from me."

"It wouldn't," he dissuaded.

"But can't you understand that the thought of that completely terrifies me?"

Instead of responding verbally, Hunter pressed his lips to her forehead. He wasn't sure what that meant or why he did it. He just felt compelled to do…something, since he had no words for her.

"I get that my actions – or lack thereof – may not always be a good representation of love," she admitted. Quite honestly she'd spent the last few days reflecting. She hadn't bothered him about sleeping downstairs because she understood why he was. As she'd mentally flipped through the chapters of their own love story, she realized that she hadn't done a stellar job at showing her love and appreciation of him. "But I'll fix it; I swear I will. Please just give me a chance, Hunter."

Finally, he cracked a small smile. "I'll be waiting."

Stephanie swallowed down the lump in her throat and nodded at him. That was as good a response as any. Her blue eyes scanned his as she tried to gauge whether or not she'd have her feelings hurt for what she wanted to do next. The fear of rejection was strong…considering they'd still have to sleep together, regardless of what happened next. But she embraced the fear and decided to go for it anyway. She leaned down and pressed her lips against his softly.

At first, he didn't do much of anything. But after a few seconds, he lifted a hand into her hair and pulled her closer, intensifying their kiss. This was the most physical contact they'd had since her birthday party, actually. Hunter hadn't even realized how much he missed being close to her until this very moment. Such was evidence of the strength of the wall he'd built up to protect himself from her.

Their tongues and lips melded together and glided over one another's smoothly until it became hard to breathe. It was Stephanie who finally broke the kiss. "Now it's less awkward," she decided.

Hunter chuckled and pulled her down to lie against him again. "Goodnight, Stephanie."

* * *

><p>We've got one more actual chapter and then the epilogue. Yay for the conclusion of this!<p>

This chapter was for the usual suspects, but especially Britt! Happy birthday!


	49. Batter Up

The song is "I Will Be" by Leona Lewis. I highly suggest listening to it throughout this chapter because it's an epic and very fitting song. Plz.

* * *

><p>Stephanie sat on the couch in her parents' living room, looking every bit as distraught as she felt. At work she was distracted because she kept going over her marital problems in her own mind. What the hell was she thinking, vowing to Hunter that she'd somehow prove her love for him? Hell, they'd been together for nearly a decade and clearly she hadn't been successful at the task. What made her think she could come up with an action that'd undo nine years of programming him to believe the opposite? What tool would change that perception? Witchcraft? Voodoo? Hypnotism? She had no idea. Therefore she was prompted to leave work at lunch and come to her parent's house.<p>

Linda had heard everything her daughter had to say. She wasn't going to lie: this was bad. But it was also something that could be remedied. "Steph, remember how pessimistic you were when Hunter was trying to get you back a few years ago?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"At what moment did you know that things would be different between you two?"

Without even having to think too hard about it, Stephanie replied, "During that whole stalker thing. Max and Bailey were going ballistic and it woke me up. I woke Hunter out of a deep sleep and when he looked at me…it just clicked. Like, his expression wasn't annoyed or anything…just…adoring."

"That sounds like a beautiful moment. But I'm talking about before that. You must have had the sense that he was really going to give everything he had to prove that he loved you. Otherwise you wouldn't have given him a chance. You'd have continued ignoring him and his apologies."

"I…" Stephanie hesitated, furrowing her eyebrows as she tried to think back. She thought of all the mini-breakthroughs on their path to reconciliation all those years ago.

**There's nothing I could say to you**  
><strong>Nothing I could ever do to make you see<strong>  
><strong>What you mean to me<strong>

Even though she hadn't admitted it, she'd been touched by the fact that he came to Stamford to find her after it had been months since she'd taken off. Of course he'd totally ruined that by accusing her of cheating…hence the not being willing to admit that her defenses had begun to crack. Then he'd found her at her new house, tried to help her and give her flowers and her very favorite candy. She never thanked him or acknowledged the gesture because she'd been too hurt at the time.

Hunter had gone on national television in front of a live audience and millions watching at home, to admit his mistakes, apologize and tell her that he loved her. He'd come to her house to spill the life story that he'd never shared with anyone else. He'd forgiven her for keeping the Kurt Angle situation from him. He'd agreed to her prerequisites for giving things another chance – no matter how he felt about them personally. No matter how ridiculous and damaging a couple of them were, in hindsight. Every time they spent time together, it was Hunter that made the effort to come to her. Whether it was going out for a meal or embarking on some random activity, he'd gone out of his way to accommodate her. She remembered how nervous and – if she was being totally honest – gorgeous the man looked when he came to pick her up for their so-called first date. She remembered his absolute patience with her during this time.

No, she hadn't forgotten the blow-up that finally occurred in the elevator at work. The revelation that he'd been hurting just as much as she had. She'd been stupid and insensitive to think that things had only been rough for her, emotionally. Despite that newfound openness, she still hadn't told him about the random flowers she was receiving at work until a misunderstanding occurred. And despite telling him about that, she still didn't let him in on all the things Kurt Angle had done to screw with them.

Other than blatant pride and a fierce independent streak, she didn't have a damn good reason for not bringing him up to speed. And that arrogance and independence could have easily cost her or their baby dearly. Looking back and knowing how Hunter felt that she didn't rely on or trust him to do anything, she could totally see that. She could see how he reached these conclusions and honestly couldn't say that she blamed him.

It was like she'd taken off the rose-colored glasses she'd been wearing throughout their entire relationship. Everything about their life together seemed new and exciting, but also filled her with deep regret. Regret that she was blind to her own actions and behavior and the messages they conveyed to her husband.

**All the pain, the tears I cried**  
><strong>Still you never said goodbye and now I know<strong>  
><strong>How far you'd go<strong>

"Stephanie?" Her mother asked, concern practically dripping from her voice.

Stephanie blinked back her tears and gazed at her Mom. "I'm – I'm sorry. I got caught up with my thoughts."

Linda gave her daughter a poignant smile, already having a good guess as to where Steph's thoughts had taken her. It was the only explanation for why her youngest child looked like the key to the universe had been dropped in her lap and she was overwhelmed with what to do with it. "Hunter's done a lot," she pointed out.

"He has," Stephanie admitted. "I'm such an idiot." She laid her head against her mother's shoulder, feeling like she'd been transported back to high school. Back when some relationship of hers didn't work out or she didn't get the grade she wanted on an exam. But it paled in comparison to how much she'd taken her husband for granted and how disappointed she felt in herself that she'd been hurting him throughout their entire marriage.

"You're not an idiot, Stephanie; you're human. As long as you learn from all of this and really try to do better, Hunter will work with you. But the first step has got to be yours."

A loud sigh escaped the brunette as she wiped at her eyes. "I don't have a clue where to start."

**I know I let you down but it's not like that now**  
><strong>This time I'll never let you go<strong>

"Start by answering your mother's question, Steph," her father's booming voice said out of nowhere.

Lifting her head, Stephanie asked, "Dad? What are you even – you know what…nevermind," she decided. Her father had the ability to walk in at the worst moments, out of absolutely nowhere. Particularly when he owned the place you were using to hold a chat. Picking at him over his obvious eavesdropping was pointless. And insignificant because she had more important things to figure out. "I guess I honestly started believing things would change with us, after Hunter's speech in the ring."

Vince nodded and lifted an eyebrow. "And what about that convinced you?" Her father asked, coming further into the living room.

"At the time he wasn't big on expressing his feelings…especially in public. It just meant a lot that he'd put that aside for me."

"There's more," Vince pointed out.

Stephanie racked her brain, thinking back to everything Hunter had said that night. "He kind of told you to shove it?"

"He did not, Steph," Vince said with an exhausted roll of his eyes.

"He kinda did," the youngest McMahon disagreed. "He basically said he was leaving the ring for an undetermined amount of time and that if you didn't like it, oh well," she told her father with an extremely amused smirk, before it dawned on her. "Oh," she said softly, feeling a deep blush staining her cheeks. No way should it have taken her this long to figure out what her Dad was getting at. "He was willing to give up his career for me, if needed."

"God, I thought we were gonna be here all day until she figured it out," Linda chuckled, while her daughter pouted.

Instead of joining in the amusement, Vince's eyes actually softened towards his daughter. He sat down next to her on the couch and held one of her hands between both of his. "Stephanie, be honest with me. Does your career mean more to you than Hunter?"

Well, she'd never actually thought about that. She never had to. In fact, not once had this potential avenue even crossed her mind even in passing. But she still knew her answer. "No," she said firmly. "No, it doesn't."

**I will be all that you want and get myself together**  
><strong>'Cause you keep me from falling apart<strong>

"Are you sure, Stephanie? I'll admit that the first time I toyed with your schedule, I was being a bastard because you wouldn't convince him to return."

"That's not news," Stephanie commented.

Vince ignored her and continued his train of thought. "Your mother set me straight, but I got to wondering about some things. Even though _you _were upset about it, Hunter had absolutely no problem with me making you leave the entire state with no advance notice whatsoever. There was a time when he would've told me to go to hell for lesser offenses, even if you two weren't on the best of terms. He didn't stand for anybody screwing with you. His passiveness over that was my first clue that something had gone seriously wrong after that…" he waved his hands in random, circular motions to try to conjure the words, "bizarre long-lost twin mix-up tomfoolery. I left it alone but I started having you work later more often to see what would happen. Not only did Hunter not tell me to go to hell, but you didn't either."

Feeling the despair drain from her, righteous anger took its place. Her eyes narrowed and she took her hands away from her father's, shoving up to her feet. "First of all I can't believe you screwed with my schedule in some kind of insane experiment for your own enjoyment. I'm sorry that I refrained from telling _my boss _to go to hell and failed whatever kind of sick test you had me taking, without my knowledge! You had no right!"

Vince stood up as well. "Yes, I'm your boss, Steph! But I'm your father first. And when I see you making a huge mess of your life I can't idly sit by and watch it."

"You could try talking to me about it! How about that?" She suggested.

"Steph, you get your stubborn streak and temper from me. That's not a secret. And like me, you have to be shown that you're wrong. You don't learn from someone warning you in advance that bad things are going to happen."

Stephanie's entire face scrunched up and she finally threw her arms in the air out of sheer frustration. "What are we even talking about anymore?"

**All my life, I'll be with you forever**  
><strong>To get you through the day and make everything okay<strong>

"We're talking about the fact that I see you on the verge of making the same mistakes that I did when I was your age. I had a choice, Steph. I could make my mark on the wrestling world; elevate it to a mainstream level like no one had ever seen before. Or I could be a great husband and parent. Your mother resents me and so do you and Shane, because I chose the first. I reached the level of success I wanted and everyone knows how proud I am of the greatness I've achieved. Everyone knows I'll do what's best for business. But no one knows that I regret not doing what's best for my wife and children."

Linda remained silent. She and Vince had had the conversation about her resentment long ago. It wasn't necessary for her to interrupt the message he was trying to deliver to their only daughter.

Taken aback by her father's admission, Stephanie remained silent. The flare-up of temper was fading and in its place she actually felt…kind of sorry for her Dad. Although he'd been the one to make the choice, it sucked that he thought she hated him or something. "I…I know that you loved me, Dad."

**I thought that I had everything**  
><strong>I didn't know what life could bring<strong>  
><strong>But now I see, honestly<strong>

"But what you all _needed_ was to know that I loved you more than the business. And I failed at proving it to you. I'm telling you right now, Stephanie…if you don't do something, you'll go down the same path."

"What am I supposed to do?" She said, on the verge of crying. "I-I can't just take off and leave all my work unresolved. Hell, some people already think I don't deserve my job and I have to work twice as hard as anyone to prove that I belong. And I can't…oh," she said aloud, realizing how she sounded. And this was her father's point. Caring more about what everyone else thought of her professional success than about what her husband and children thought of her as a wife and mother.

Hunter had taken the chance that he might be fired and sued, when he took time off for her. And he'd literally worked his entire adult life to reach the pinnacle that he had. He'd battled adversity, ridicule, insecurity, scheming coworkers, debilitating injuries and everything in between to reach the top of the mountain. His run at the top could have certainly been longer had he not stepped away to work things out with her. And hell, he could've had more in-ring accomplishments under his belt, had he not chosen to shift his career so that he could be at home more.

He'd given up just about everything else he loved, just to show her that she was worth more. She was worth fighting for.

And so was he. So were their children – who she was eventually going to screw up with her wishy washy actions if she didn't put a stop to it.

**You're the one thing I got right**  
><strong>The only one I let inside<strong>  
><strong>Now I can breathe 'cause you're here with me<strong>

"Dad," she began slowly. "I need to take some time off. I don't know how long…and I don't expect compensation."

Vince cracked a smile and reached across the coffee table for a black folder. He picked it up and handed it to Stephanie. "The paperwork for your leave of absence is already done, Steph. All it needs is your signature. Your interim is ready to start when I give him the call."

"You knew I'd take time off!" She accused, but found that she wasn't at all irritated. She opened the folder and flipped through it, scanning the terms of the agreement.

"I hoped. It's what I was trying to push you towards because I saw what trouble your marriage was in. But you wouldn't fight back…so I got worried," he admitted.

"Well, I'm gonna fix that," she declared, grabbing a pen and scribbling her signature. She placed the paper back in the folder and handed it to her Dad. Linda stood up and rubbed Stephanie's arm reassuringly. "Thank you both. For everything," the brunette said sincerely, grabbing her parents in a group hug. She released them and glanced over at the grandfather clock that was perched by the fireplace. "I've gotta get going." she said quickly.

**And if I let you down, I'll turn it all around**  
><strong>'Cause I would never let you go<strong>

Stephanie sped in the direction of Jackson's school, hoping and praying that she didn't get pulled over along the way. So far she hadn't, but if she passed a cop, her completely reckless driving was sure to get her a ticket. She didn't have a whole lot of time left…and she wanted to do this in the best way possible. She wanted to talk to Hunter and then be able to walk into the school to get their son, presenting a united, happier front.

After what seemed like forever, she drove into the school's lot, parking haphazardly in the nearest space. Her truck was probably well past the line and taking up another space, but she honestly didn't care. There was no time to be a perfectionist; not when she'd already spotted Hunter's truck, but the man himself wasn't in it. She jumped out of the car and started to run; thanking the heavens that she hadn't worn heels today

She spotted him halfway up the path that led to the front doors of the school. She picked up the pace, took a deep breath and yelled, "Hunter, wait!"

**I will be all that you want and get myself together**  
><strong>'Cause you keep me from falling apart<strong>

Hunter planted a foot on the steps before he visibly paused. He turned around, looking completely bewildered as Stephanie eventually came to a stop in front of him. "Stephanie? What are you doing here? What's going on?"

Stephanie held up a hand and took in desperate gulps of air. That's what she got for being so anxious – she hadn't concentrated on breathing fully. "Just – just gimme a sec."

After a minute or so, she finally got herself under control. "Hi," she told him, somewhat bashfully.

Hunter laughed at her. "Umm. Hi. Wanna tell me why you aren't at work?"

"I...took a long lunch. I needed some advice. From people wiser than I am, maybe."

"Okay…" he said, eyebrows drawing together yet again.

"I'll…well I'll skip how I reached my epiphany and just get to the point," she decided. "Hunter," she said, taking his hands in hers. "I love you." She squeezed his hands reassuringly at the lost look on his face. She realized that her presentation could be misconstrued as her _just _now figuring out that she loved him. "That's not my epiphany," she said before he could convince himself otherwise. "You've done everything within your power to make our relationship work. You've done everything I've asked of you, even when it didn't make any damn sense. Even if it ended up being a terrible idea, you did it to prove how much you love me. You put your career on the line to try to work things out with me. _You _did that; I can see now that I honestly wasn't helping you with that very much. I'm sorry for all the things I've kept from you…in the past and more recently. I completely understand why you feel like I don't rely on you or trust you. I guess I got so used to just counting on myself or my brother – because he raised me – that I didn't realize I hadn't made room for you. But I'm going to, starting right now. I promise."

**And all my life, I'll be with you forever**  
><strong>To get you through the day and make everything okay<strong>

Hunter stared at her as she spoke, feeling a rush of different emotions. He started off as just confused, moved into confused and hurt and was now somewhere in the realm of proud and confused. Confusion reigned supreme solely because he wondered where his wife was going with all of this.

"I can understand why you question what love means to me…because I haven't shown you. I haven't sacrificed anything to make this marriage work. I haven't stepped out of my comfort zone. I haven't thanked you for all that you've done for me and for our family. I've never told you just how much I appreciate you – that there's no one else that I'd want to share my life with. No one else that I'd want to be the father of my kids."

"Steph…thank you. I mean that. But what is it that you're trying to say?"

**Without you I can't breathe**  
><strong>I'm not gonna ever, ever let you leave<strong>  
><strong>You're all I got, you're all I want, oh<strong>

"I'm saying that it's my turn. You've done more than enough for me. Where we are right now is my fault, Hunter. So I'm going to trust you to lead our family without thinking of me as weak. I'm gonna rely on you to continue to love and respect me just as much as you do right now. Meanwhile I'll prove my commitment to all the rambling I just did…by taking an undetermined amount of time off from work."

"You're doing what?" He asked, raising his voice slightly because he was so surprised.

Stephanie shrugged. "I want to make you happy. I don't want to look back and regret working so much while we clearly have a very serious issue. I told you I was gonna fix this and I am. But I can't do all that I need to, while working. I've wanted to be in my father's company ever since I was little. It was my dream. But I have a new dream: to be the best wife to you and mother to our kids, that I possibly can. Right now that means devoting all my time to you guys."

Completely skeptical about this idea and how she truly felt about it, Hunter raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about this?"

Stephanie gave him an easy smile. "The paperwork is already done. I'm officially on leave."

Hunter remained completely silent for the next few moments; letting the gravity of what she was saying, sink in for him. "I honestly have no idea what to say."

"The other night you said that you'd be waiting for me to fix it," she reminded him. "I say this is me stepping up to the plate."

**'Cause without you I don't know what I'd do**  
><strong>I can never, ever live a day without you<strong>  
><strong>Here with me, do you see you're all I need?<strong>

Hunter responded by releasing her hands from his. He tilted his head in consideration as he reached out and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. In her endlessly blue eyes, he saw nothing but sincerity. He wrapped his arms around her, leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. Stephanie was a little surprised at first, but quickly began to kiss him back.

The bell rang above them loudly, signaling the end of school. The couple ignored it completely, not even phased by the sound.

****And I will be, all that you want and get myself together**  
><strong>'Cause you keep me from falling apart<strong>**

Jackson wandered out of his classroom, saying bye to his friends as they all split up to head off to where their parents were waiting. Some parents stayed in the parking lot, others stood on the school's lawn, others waited outside of the cafeteria, some waited directly outside of the classroom…and some didn't come for their children at all, leaving the youngsters to find their own way home, unless there was a nanny involved.

That wasn't his Dad. He always waited for him right in front of the school. He pondered this while one sad little boy met his nanny in the hallway, sticking his small hand in hers as they walked off together in stoic silence.

Adjusting his backpack on his shoulders, he walked towards the front door and was shocked at what was before him. He was pleased that his parents obviously weren't upset with each other anymore. But they were kissing as if their lives depended on it, with complete disregard for all the kids, parents, staff members and whoever else passed them by. Throughout all the commotion, Stephanie's arms remained wrapped around Hunter's neck, while his remained around her waist, bringing her as close as was humanly possible.

"Moooooooom! Dad!" Jack called out to them. The little boy sighed and began to march in their direction. "Quit it! Everyone is looking!" He said as he reached them. "Hey!" He cried, tapping on their legs as they both continued to ignore his pleas for separation. "Everyone knows you're my Mommy and Daddy! Would you guys – this is weird!" He complained, tossing his arms in the air.

**And all my life, I'll be with you forever**  
><strong>To get you through the day and make everything okay<strong>

Hunter broke the kiss – mostly because he was out of air, rather than because of Jack's embarrassment. He pecked his wife on the lips once more and cupped her cheek. "Stepping up to the plate huh?" He reiterated. "Batter up, baby."

Jackson groaned out loud, "You're ruining baseball!"

Stephanie laughed at both of her boys and finally looked down to acknowledge their son. She ruffled his hair affectionately, laughing louder when he complained she was messing up his ponytail. She looked up at her husband and suggested, "What do you say we teach our little slugger here what's it like to be tickled by his parents in front of the entire school?"

Jackson's bluish-green eyes widened and his mouth parted. He looked up at his Dad just in time to see the tall blonde advancing towards him. While he paid attention to his father, his mother hands suddenly shot out and tickled his sides. "HELP ME! AHHHHH!" He shouted, squirming around until he was finally free. He looked up and saw his parents standing together, gleefully wiggling their fingers in a threatening manner. When his Dad extended an arm and caught one of his sides again, Jack yelped. Before he could be caught fully, he spun around and took off running down the walkway.

****I will be, all that you want and get myself together**  
><strong>'Cause you keep me from falling apart<strong>**

Stephanie and Hunter burst into hysterical laughter, watching their son speed past most of the kids in his grade.

"I should probably stop him at some point," Hunter observed out loud. He turned to Stephanie and asked, "Meet you in the parking lot?"

"Sure. I've got all the time in the world, babe," she reminded him with a sly smile. She patted his shoulder to urge him to catch up with Jackson before their kid ran out of sight.

Grinning like a cheshire cat, Hunter pressed a quick kiss to her cheek before taking off in a sprint after Jackson.

As she started to follow the same trail that Hunter and Jack had, she watched her husband chase after their son, with a smile on her face. Her heart was filled with pride over the fact that these two amazing people belonged to her. What's more is that they both adored her; just as she did them. God knows she'd done nothing to deserve them – or the twins for that matter – but she was working on that. And as she saw Hunter catch up to Jack, scooping him up into his humongous arms before the boy even knew what was happening, she knew that everything was going to be just fine.

**And all my life, I'll be with you forever**  
><strong>To get you through the day and make everything okay<strong>

* * *

><p>I hope you all caught how unresolved themes from both installments begin their path towards resolution in this chapter. Someone asked about Howard - he's an unresolved issue and he will be in the epilogue. Drop your thoughts!<p> 


	50. Teamwork

Four months later

In the elevator, Hunter pressed the button for the top floor. He glanced over at Stephanie, who'd been uncharacteristically quiet ever since they returned from lunch. She was staring off into space and biting on her lip anxiously. He lightly tugged on the hand he was holding and asked, "You okay, Steph?"

Stephanie turned to meet his gaze and slowly shook her head no. "I'm so nervous I can't even think straight," she admitted.

Today was her first official day back at the office. Due to a slow, but continued decline in the company's stock, Vince had pulled together a project of sorts. He'd had his scouts gather together in his office and pull names from a basket. Each name was an executive from a department that had anything to do with the contracts or creative development. As Stephanie was slated to return at the end of February, her name had been thrown into the basket, rather than her interims. Meaning that whomever she was paired with, she would have to find a way to work with them on this outside of the office.

Luckily, her very own husband had managed to draw her name. This made it considerably easier to figure out time to work on their ideas. Although during their scheduled work time, they often ended up doing and saying highly unprofessional things. But creatively speaking, they were very in sync and had easily organized their thoughts and turned it into a thoughtful pitch.

"Our idea is pretty solid. You have nothing to worry about," he told her.

"I know we came up with something great. It's just…you know I've been out of the loop so long. And then I'm just gonna waltz in, partnered with my husband – which looks suspicious – and toss out this pitch to my Dad. If he picks our idea it looks like favoritism. And if he doesn't it's like I failed at my first day being back."

Hunter let go of her hand and instead rubbed her arms. "Honey," he said very slowly. "You are seriously overthinking this. Our idea is awesome. And everyone knows how your Dad is – he'll pick the idea that he sees the most earning potential in, regardless of who came up with it."

Stephanie thought of the ideas that had already been tossed out. Some were decent and some were just plain terrible. The first had been to increase the number of scouts; which was a highly unoriginal thought. The second had been to have scouts appear exclusively at bodybuilding competitions, rather than at wrestling matches. The third had been to offer college grants to high school kids, with the stipulation that they put in at least one year with the company after school was done. That had been one of the better ideas but still came with major problems. What if the recipient suffered an injury and was unable to compete at that level? What if they lost their passion for the business and were contractually obligated to stink up the place for a whole year? The list of possible issues went on and on, as did the number of mediocre and awful proposals.

The way it worked was that a team pitched an idea, and then everyone split off to get their respective work done before reconvening for another pitch. Hunter and Stephanie were up next and just so happened to be going last.

"You're right," she finally admitted. "Have I told you how glad I am that you ended up being my partner on this?"

Hunter grinned down at her. "Nope; you've left that detail out."

Stephanie thought of their life together – how it started, what it had turned into and where it was heading. She also thought of the speed bumps, road blocks and all the messes that had been made along the way. She thought of how they'd faced and overcome each obstacle, always ending up stronger than ever.

During her hiatus from work, she was able to concentrate solely on Hunter and their children. If she was being honest, she got a better understanding of her husband, because she'd placed herself in the shoes he'd been in six years ago. She understood the burden he'd carried with being the one to constantly come up with things for them to do. She felt the weight of taking on the responsibility to accommodate his schedule more. Though she'd definitely kept busy, she now knew what Hunter must have felt like during the periods of boredom when she wasn't around but he had no work to do.

Hell, she even got an understanding of what things were like for him more recently, since she was the one mostly dealing with the kids now. To say she appreciated him and his sacrifices even more was a major understatement.

But that's what love was all about: caring enough to make sacrifices and to show appreciation when your significant other was the one doing the bending.

So in addition to dinners, romantic outings and other activities she'd also planned for them to go out of town a couple of times. The first time was just a long weekend down in Florida. The second time was a few weeks later when she'd arranged for them to have a week in Hawaii. Shortly before Vince had assigned this project there'd also been a cruise to the Caribbean during the week of Valentine's Day. They'd returned well-rested and somewhat tan, ready to adjust their schedules so that Stephanie could get back to work.

"Well I am glad," she assured him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "It's like I'm meant to be with you in every possible way or something."

"I'm perfectly fine with that," he told her truthfully.

Stephanie flashed him a smile as the elevator dinged. "Good."

They both resisted the urge to hold hands while they passed by their colleagues. They were well aware that some people didn't particularly fancy the fact that they were married. They also didn't particularly give a damn, but that didn't mean they would flaunt their relationship in these business settings to make people more uncomfortable. Upon entering the moderately populated room, they gave a combination of greetings, handshakes and head nods to acknowledge their coworkers. Normally they would sit at least a couple of spaces apart so as not to draw attention to themselves. But since they had to present together, they sat next to each other.

Everyone in the room sat mostly in comfortable silence, with just a few people making random, lighthearted small talk here and there. All the chatter soon came to a stop as her father entered the room. He tended to have that effect on the people that worked for him.

Vince made sure he made eye contact with every person in the room, his stare flattened and lips pressed together. There was no sense of lightheartedness about him at the moment. To say he'd been rather underwhelmed with the ideas the teams had brought forward so far, was putting it mildly. His daughter and her husband were up next and he sincerely hoped they had an idea that had some semblance of creativity and coherence. If not, he may just pick the damn scholarship idea, he supposed.

The patriarch of the McMahon family took his seat at the head of the table. He cleared his throat and said neutrally, "Hunter. Stephanie. Let's get on with this, please."

All eyes turned to the Helmsley's. Stephanie swallowed hard and looked around, feeling her nerves come rushing back at her. If only her husband could give her another pep talk. But that simply wasn't possible right now. Her eyes shifted up to Hunter as he stood up. He gave a small, quick smile, jerking his head towards the front of the room before he began walking. Stephanie took a deep breath and finally did the same.

Because everyone else had begun with an introduction, they had decided to do the same. Although anyone who didn't already know who they were was probably too dense to be working here anyhow.

"I'm Hunter, head of recruiting for this region."

"And I'm Stephanie, the managing supervisor for the Contracts department. Our idea is simple and is aimed at making the most out of our budgeting dollars, while reaching the greatest amount of potential talent possible."

Hunter picked it up from there. "Currently, recruiters and scouts put together plans to go out and actively scout for talent. These are kids that may not even be interested in a pro wrestling career at this time, if at all. We waste tens of millions of dollars on travel for this reason. Furthermore, we're finding that those we do sign to developmental contracts right out of high school simply aren't prepared for the lifestyle of a superstar-in-training."

"The recruiting department passes the strongest candidates over to the Contracts department and we make the deals," Stephanie pointed out. "We put these individuals through to their next level and manage their offers as they continue their careers as active members of the roster. This process is fragmented and does not use time efficiently."

They paused to see if they had their audience's attention. Everyone looked very intrigued, which was a good sign for them to continue.

"Our plan" Hunter began, "is to bring these two departments closer together and stop wasting money on kids that may not be interested or be able to handle the pressure of the wrestling world."

"Furthermore," Stephanie chimed in, "we will also tap into a much wider market with considerably less effort. We plan to capitalize on the popular reality television trend by creating a contest, of sorts. Candidates from all over the world will send us videotapes of their bio and their best shot at a promo. A team of scouts can screen these short videotapes and narrow them down to a more workable number. Those that make it through phase one will continue into a live audition at a location of our choosing. They'll have to pay their own travel costs, of course."

Stephanie nodded at Hunter to take it from there. "Our team will narrow the candidates down to thirteen individuals. They'll undergo wrestling training here in Stamford, by experienced veterans. There will be a regular team of trainers, plus a guest speaker/trainer each week just to mix things up and get the hardcore fans to tune in often. A candidate will be eliminated regularly. For the ones who make it to the end, the training will have lasted for a total of nine weeks. One male and one female will be selected as the winners of a WWE contract. It won't be necessary to really introduce them much; the public will already be familiar with them and feel connected to them as people. Plus we'll also have a pool of potential talent, in those that were good, but didn't win. We'll expand our visibility, our brand, give a human connection to superstars and save money all with this one idea," he concluded.

Vince swirled around in his leather chair, tapping his pen against the mahogany desk. "And just what would you two call this reality television wrestling contest?"

Stephanie glanced at Hunter, before turning back to her father with a proud smile. Her husband had been the one to come up with the name. "Tough enough," she said simply.

Vince narrowed his eyes skeptically for a moment before standing up from his seat. He adjusted the cuff of his sleeves calmly. Then he yelled, "DAMN IT, EVERYBODY GET OUT!"

Stephanie was visibly startled while Hunter just looked on in confusion. He and Stephanie locked eyes and he shrugged and began to move towards the door.

"Not you two!" Vince backtracked. "You stay!" Nobody else moved fast enough for his liking so he reiterated, "I SAID OUT! That means you!" He pointed at a random recruiter who looked shell-shocked as he just about fell over his chair trying to leave the room.

Once the room was empty, Vince slammed the door shut. He walked over to Hunter and Stephanie, looking just as stern as he had with the other employees. His eyes darted back and forth between the two of them, critically. Then, he broke out into a huge grin. "By God, I like it! Fine tune the details, I want this thing rolling by the end of the year."

It was a struggle for Stephanie to contain her squeal, but she settled on squeezing her husband's hand quickly.

"You had us scared shitless, Vince. Jesus," Hunter muttered, but his eyes twinkled with amusement.

"Well I was stone-faced for everyone else's presentation. I have to treat you two the same even though your idea will actually work wonders for the company. I'll announce it in next week's staff meeting."

"I'm so glad you like the idea, Dad! We were so nervous!"

Hunter shook his head and pointed at Stephanie. "I thought the idea was genius. _She _was nervous." He winced a little when his wife backhanded him across his arm.

"Doesn't matter! Excellent work, you two!" He congratulated sincerely. He walked over to the conference room door, stopping with his hand on the doorknob. "You…make a good team," he concluded before letting himself out.

"Yeah," Stephanie agreed, despite the fact that her father had already gone. She leaned up and pressed a kiss to Hunter's lips quickly. "We really do."

* * *

><p>Howard unlocked the door to his apartment. With his brow crinkled in thought, he moved towards the storage closet to his left. He opened it and reached up to the very top. He blew out a breath of frustration and pulled the shoebox down.<p>

His big fingers danced lightly over the cardboard. He was stalling. There was a reason he never looked at these documents. Oh sure he _had _them...just in case. It was always good to have all your records on hand.

But despite the fact that he'd done something horrible to his brother, he was finding that it felt like he was missing something. Like it or not, Hunter was a part of his past. They'd shared a womb together for nine months. They'd taken their first breaths together before being separated.

Reflection wasn't his cup of tea. In fact, he downright hated it. Because reflecting always caused you to wonder what you could have done better. It was the equivalent of regretting that you hadn't done it "the right way" to begin with. Regrets were for idiots because you could never change the past. Nor could you control the entirety of your future.

So his mantra in life was to live in the moment.

Yet, even without taking the time to be introspective, he felt like shit. But he hoped that he could redeem himself a bit. This gesture – that he was exploring the past for his brother – would hopefully be enough to bury the hatchet...even if they didn't become close as a result.

Finally, Howard pulled the top off of the box. And there it was.

His original birth certificate along with his adoption documents.

For the next few minutes he scanned the papers. And he noticed two things that were very, very off.

The first: that Hunter had been listed as having died in the NICU.

The second: that their birth mother's name was Stella and that their father's name was Roy. But Hunter said that his birth parent's names were Abigail and Patrick.

It was very possible that this meant nothing. Maybe their parents hadn't been able to afford their medical bills and had used fake names. Or maybe they'd used their real names and then taken off...and donned pseudonym's for the streets so they'd never be found.

Maybe they grabbed the first twin they could find and ran off with him. And the hospital didn't want to admit that something like this happened on their watch. Back in the 70s, it wouldn't have been difficult to falsify records like this.

But if their parents loved at least one child enough to keep him, why hadn't they tried to find him after he ran away?

Howard swallowed hard once he accepted the cold truth that was staring him in the face.

The people that Hunter grew up with for eight years weren't his actual parents. In fact, he had a sneaking suspicion that they were nothing more than kidnappers. He pressed a hand to his head and tried to think clearly. Hunter might not want this information. Obviously their birth parents had no intention of raising them anyway. So what did it matter? He'd already shaken up Hunter's life and earned himself an ass-beating and an exile. Somehow barging in and telling his brother that everything he believed from birth was a lie, seemed like it would make things worse. Calmly, he placed the papers back in the box and placed everything where it had been before.

In his mind, that's what was going to happen. He was going to go back to the way things were before. As he closed the door to the closet, he imagined he was also shutting the door on his past.

* * *

><p>Thank you guys for all the support on this story. It is much appreciated! Especially the reviews (being honest hahaha) lol.<p>

Loved it? Hated it? Sad to see this story is over? I wanna know!


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